Precinct Reporter Group News

Top Menu

  • Precinct Reporter News
  • Food
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy

Main Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Read Our E-Edition
  • ADVERTISE
  • Subscribe
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Precinct Reporter News
  • Food
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy

logo

Precinct Reporter Group News

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Read Our E-Edition
  • ADVERTISE
  • Subscribe
  • Black Rose Awards Set For Sat., February 4

  • OC Black History Parade & Unity Festival

  • LBCC Students Get Ready for Male Success Initiative

  • Advocates Address Rise in Suicide for Black Males

  • Cops Search Black Teens 6X More Than White Peers

Latest PRGNews
Home›Latest PRGNews›Love in the Mirror: Help for the Homeless

Love in the Mirror: Help for the Homeless

By Precinct Reporter News
October 7, 2021
1033
0
Share:

By Dianne Anderson

It’s that time of year again when Love in the Mirror ramps up efforts for more volunteers, calling for the very young to the seniors, to come out and give in the form of socks, socks, and more socks.

Socks are the most in-demand item for the homeless.

“Our goal every year is 10,000 socks,” said Renee Corona, executive director of Love in the Mirror. “It’s what most homeless people ask for, it’s more important than anything to keep them warm, keep them clean. Sometimes they don’t have shoes.”

Youth, grandparents and grandkids get together not only for the sock drive, but also to collect and distribute food and hygiene products. Their nonprofit works with local businesses, the Girl Scouts and local churches, and many other community-building events. They take their volunteerism to the streets of Long Beach, downtown Los Angeles and out to Orange County.

Initially, she said the nonprofit wanted to open up volunteerism opportunities for all ages to serve hungry communities.

“It’s a lot of families. We have peanut butter and jelly sandwich-making events, so we make sometimes 7,000 sandwiches at a time,” she said.

During the summer, it’s all about backpacks and school supplies, but from October to December, the organization gears up for food to the community, and much-needed toy drives start now.

“We work with the City Health Department getting hygiene to homeless individuals, and they found that the best way for the kids to help out is by collecting items,” she said. “We started partnering with organizations to provide hygiene, clothes, school learning materials and backpacks, wherever we see the need.”

When the pandemic first hit, the nonprofit already had amassed many masks and hygiene products. They brought all their supplies out of storage to the city to be redistributed back to those in need.

The program also works closely with the Multi-service center homeless services, and is a long-time partner with Free Mom Hugs, Gay for Good, and Food Finders nonprofits. A lot of their donations come from food banks, in-kind donations from the community, and corporate offices.

“Old airline blankets and things they don’t need anymore, we get thousands of them we find them in places where they make the most impact, and we’ll find groups to help us put together kits with what we have,” she said.

She credits the founding of the nonprofit to her then young son Jonas, who she regularly brought out with other family members to collect food to distribute to the homeless and children of skid row. At the time, no other nonprofits wanted small children to volunteer.

Today, he is 18, and is heavily involved in recruiting to keep Love in the Mirror volunteerism running smoothly.

When they first started, they didn’t advertise but somehow 150 children were served at their Christmas toy giveaway. The next year was 300, and the next 700, and continues growing.

Despite having almost missed it because of the pandemic, last year’s giveaway was huge. At the last minute, she said it was great to work with Long Beach and 8th District Councilman Al Austin to create a drive-through event.

“We had to get creative. We had people register to tell us their interests and we created custom boxes. We had a huge event, it was great. This year we may do it the same way,” she said.

One of the program’s longest-serving hardest working volunteers, Anthony Moguel, has been with the organization from the beginning. He hasn’t missed out on a single holiday event to help the community.

For the upcoming event, which usually draws about 1,000 or more, he said it’s a little bit of hard work, but nothing he can’t handle.

“The pandemic this past year, everything was slowly moving, but we did have enough [volunteers] with all the gift wrapping, and it was creative to have the drive-by. But, we’re always looking for more volunteers to help in the organization,” he said.

In some circles by definition, Moguel, an amputee since he was two years old, may be labeled as disabled, but to him, he is more than able. He refuses to let anyone dictate his circumstance.

“I go hiking, bike riding swimming, basketball, soccer, I do everything,” said Moguel, 24, who joined the nonprofit outreach when he was a senior year of Cabrillo High School.

When he’s not volunteering, he is a senior working on his degree in sociology at Cal State University, Long Beach, looking to get into mental health social work. He also teaches an after-school program, leads the science program, and is considering getting his teaching credential.

His volunteer duties are rewarding, and he is always out recruiting for more participation, and help with crowd control.

“I just love the love environment,” he said. “I love working in the community and when I first researched Love in the Mirror, they have a great vibe to help out the communities.”

To volunteer or get help, see https://loveinthemirror.org

TagsfoodhomelessnesshygieneLong BeachLong Beach LeaderLove In The Mirror
Previous Article

State Sets Standard for Voting Rights in ...

Next Article

Domestic Violence: Healing Black Women

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Precinct Reporter News

Related articles More from author

  • Latest PRGNews

    COVID-19 Impact: Need for Health Coverage

    November 26, 2020
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    The Miseducation of “Betsy DeVoid”

    September 20, 2018
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Congressman Elijah Cummings Dies at 68

    October 24, 2019
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Unemployment Benefits in 2021? Get Health Insurance Just $1

    July 1, 2021
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Dr. Ralph Bunche: A Hero of U.S. Diplomacy

    February 25, 2021
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Breaking News

    Statement from President Obama

    January 7, 2021
    By Precinct Reporter News

You might be interested

  • Latest PRGNews

    Grisly Hanging Deaths Hark Back to Terror of Lynchings Past

  • Latest PRGNews

    Fontana City Council District Three Candidates

  • Latest PRGNews

    BHM Events at LBCC and CSULB

Ads

Advertise with us!

Ads ||

Ads |

ADS III

Find us on Facebook

Ads

Precinct Reporter News Group

Your local news resource for 50 years in the Inland Empire, Orange County, Long Beach and surrounding areas!

To subscribe or advertise, call 909.889.0597

About us

  • Broadcasting & Media Production Company
    357 W. 2nd Street
    San Bernardino, California, CA 92401
  • mailto:sales@precinctreporter.com
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Black Rose Awards Set For Sat., February 4

    By Precinct Reporter News
    January 26, 2023
  • OC Black History Parade & Unity Festival

    By Precinct Reporter News
    January 26, 2023
  • LBCC Students Get Ready for Male Success Initiative

    By Precinct Reporter News
    January 26, 2023
  • IE/OC Prostate and Breast Cancer, Change the Menu

    By PRGNews
    July 16, 2015
  • Join our Recipe Competition!

    By PRGNews
    July 16, 2015
  • SB Budget Cuts CDBG

    SB CDBG Cuts Have Local Nonprofits Braced for the Worst

    By PRGNews
    July 16, 2015

Follow us

© Powered by Hotspotwebsites.net. All rights reserved.