West Side Homeless Outreach Kicks Off Thanksgiving Drive
To ease the burden of L.A.-area homelessness, West Side Homeless Outreach will launch its annual Thanksgiving drive on October 1. The six-week effort, which will end November 13, helps meet vital needs of homeless people throughout West Los Angeles County.
“Blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothing, personal-hygiene items and nonperishable food items are urgently needed as donations,” said Rosemary Campos, executive director of the Playa del Rey-based charity. “West Side Homeless Outreach isn’t a walk-in homelessness facility. Instead, we deliver needed items to hundreds of indigent people throughout L.A.’s West Side. Community support will make this worthy endeavor succeed.”
Supporting the Thanksgiving drive is easy, continued Campos. No contribution is too small—and all will be greatly appreciated. To schedule pickups, supporters can e-mail info@wshola.org. There are no drop-off locations. And because West Side Homeless Outreach is IRS approved, all donations are tax deductible. Receipts will be supplied upon request.
“Our Thanksgiving drive is perhaps our most important effort during the year,” explained Loren Franck, West Side Homeless Outreach president. “The fall and winter holidays are painful for many homeless people, especially those who for various reasons shun shelters and soup kitchens. The holidays further isolate these destitute men and women, so they depend on WSHO to take life’s barest necessities to them.”
West Side Homeless Outreach also welcomes volunteers and financial donations to assist homeless men, women and children throughout L.A.’s West Side. Visit www.wshlola.org for details.
Have a Garden? Need a Garden? Try Garden Sharing!
It’s no secret that gardening has many benefits… from physical to mental to environmental. But in a City of 94,000 people in just 5 square miles, not everyone has room to grow.
If you’re a Santa Monica home/property owner with a small area in your yard that you’re willing to share with an experienced gardener or you’re interested in growing a vegetable garden but lack the expertise, consider listing your space with the City’s new Garden Sharing registry. Once registered, you’ll be able to choose from a list of avid gardeners. Together you and your gardener will structure a sustainable partnership that makes sense to both of you, including schedule, type of gardening project, how the cost of seeds and supplies will be handled, supply storage, and the length of commitment. Home/property owners provide land and water, while gardeners do the work. Together, you share the crop! Bountiful benefits such as home-grown produce, fresh herbs, fragrant flowers and a deeper connection with the community around you will be yours for the taking.
Signing up for the Garden Sharing Registry is simple. Get started today by completing an application available online at http://communitygardens.smgov.net, or call 310.458.8573.