For many, it's hard to visualize what two million pounds of trash looks like, but Duke Givens, founder and CEO of the local nonprofit Care Closet, doesn't have to imagine.
Since the organization began in 2019, Givens has helped unhoused residents in Long Beach to change their circumstances while helping keep the community clean. Over the last five years, the nonprofit has collected more than two million pounds of trash throughout the City.
"We're getting people housed," said Givens. "We're getting people to find themselves skills that will ultimately set them in a place where they can get employed."
State officials agree, and they recently honored the nonprofit organization Care Closet LBC for its work empowering the unhoused community and maintaining cleanliness in Long Beach.
The recognition came in June, as part of an annual initiative by CalNonprofits, which invites California legislators to honor a nonprofit from their district. This year, Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, selected Care Closet LBC for the prestigious award.
"Care Closet is doing things that transcend the way we should work with the homeless population," Lowenthal said. "We're collaborating to solve problems, not just in the community, but in the region and the state as a whole."
This honor underscores Care Closet's commitment to transforming the lives of the unhoused and keeping Long Beach clean.
Givens' team is a result of his dedication to building relationships with the unhoused community. By inviting them to join his Care Closet cleanup crew, Givens also gives them a sense of purpose.
Since its founding, the nonprofit has operated under the motto that "Homelessness is a brief chapter, not a lifelong sentence." To make this chapter as bearable as possible, Care Closet provides tents, meals, and sleeping bags, addressing basic needs as part of a broader strategy to help those in need find a pathway to success.
"We give them a volunteer stipend to get food, deodorant, things of that nature," Givens said. This incentive encourages volunteers to return and often leads them to bring others from the unhoused community, extending Care Closet's reach and trust within the community.
Givens noted that many in the unhoused community already possess employable skills; they just need someone they trust to help them find their way. While Givens admits that gaining the trust of members of the unhoused community is not easy, he said that he has succeeded because of his belief that "love is the greatest weapon on the planet."
Along with love, people often need structure. Givens said his military background and 25-year tenure at Long Beach Transit equip him to teach that skillset. "Once you can put them in that structure, they're not in a maze; they're on a straight line," he said.
This has led to a partnership with the City of Long Beach, which recently enlisted Care Closet's help with tree trimming and trash collection near Cal State Long Beach. Givens believes building partnerships with nonprofits allows the city to focus on pressing infrastructure needs, calling it a "win-win" situation.
Volunteering with Care Closet meets the immediate and basic needs of the unhoused, but for Givens, it's also an opportunity to understand their long-term life needs. In addition to helping with resumes, the Care Closet team guides those in need of services for mental health, drug addiction, and other support that can lead to stable housing.
While the situation with unhoused people continues, Givens believes we have the tools to address the problem here in Long Beach. We just have to address it "lil by lil," he said.
To support or volunteer with Care Closet LBC, visit the nonprofit's website.
Comments