Title
Office of Homeless Solutions - Healthy Giving Opportunities - Citywide
Description
This report provides an overview and update on the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) Healthy Giving Opportunities and its Friendsgiving campaign.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The City Council approved the Office of Homeless Solutions’ Healthy Giving initiatives in the 2026 Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan. As part of the initiative the City will continue to enhance and promote Healthy Giving to create opportunities for individuals and volunteers to give their time and resources in ways that minimize any inadvertent negative consequences in the community. The Office of Homeless Solutions offers Healthy Giving opportunities that provide a coordinated donation pathway for individuals, businesses, faith-based organizations and other community groups seeking to support people utilizing City-owned shelter sites. Rather than unhealthier street-side drop-offs, we encourage individuals and groups to support Healthy Giving Strategies. These opportunities connect donors directly with shelters, ensuring items are distributed safely, responsibly and in a way that truly meets client needs.
Participating donors must complete an application specifying their donation type and preferred location, with all on-site donors and volunteers required to be 18 or older. Eligible sites currently include the Turquoise Navigation Center and the Safe Outdoor Space (SOS), with plans to expand eligible locations as the opportunities grow. Food and beverage donations must be prepared in a commercial kitchen and provided pre-packaged, using plastic bottles or aluminum cans rather than glass, with a minimum requirement of 250 units per item to serve the full shelter population. Clothing and supply donations must be new and unused, focusing currently on socks, underwear, feminine hygiene products, pet food, and seasonal heat-relief items.
Community partnerships continue to drive strong results, featuring regular contributions from Illuminate Church, Start with the Heart, and Upon This Rock Church, alongside a local law firm that recently provided a full catered meal at the SOS. Since January 2026, these partnerships have mobilized over 70 volunteers, served more than 1,500 clients with food and drinks, and generated an estimated $8,000 in in-kind donations.
To address the annual surge in uncoordinated street-side giving and debris around the Key Campus each Thanksgiving, OHS is launching "Healthy Giving Friendsgiving." Throughout this campaign, OHS is partnering with nine local organizations to direct residents toward structured giving. The initiative provides community education on the value of responsible giving, provides direct access to homeless service organizations donation requests and communicates logistics for necessary Thanksgiving Day street closures around the Key Campus.
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Office of Homeless Solutions.