Aid Group for the Needy Moves to Larger Warehouse

Operators of a nonprofit charity that aids the homeless knew they would face a major decision when donated detergent and toothpaste began clogging the aisles of their Bell warehouse.

Either Los Angeles-based Shelter Partnership would have to stop accepting some goods or move to another location around the corner.

In retrospect, says warehouse director Jeff Schaffer, there wasn’t much of a choice.

“We just outgrew the old space,” he said. “The volume of donations was that good.”

Located within the same federal complex, the new location is just a few miles from some of the county’s major manufacturers, some of whom support the program by donating large quantities of nonperishable supplies.

At 60,000 square feet, the new warehouse has twice the capacity of the facility that Shelter Partnership has used since 1988 to store free goods for nearly 200 agencies across the county serving poor and homeless people.

Both warehouses were deemed surplus federal property and available free to agencies providing relief to the nation’s homeless.

Already, the new facility is two-thirds full, Schaffer said, with steady donations outpacing orders from agencies.

“Basically, we try to obtain any item a homeless shelter would have to purchase,” Schaffer said. “Most agencies don’t have storage space for a two-year supply of anything, but with our warehouse operations, we can stockpile goods and give them out as they need them.”

Although Shelter Partnership provides other services, such as tracking grants, to smaller agencies, Schaffer said the warehouse has been its most effective outreach opportunity.

“It’s extremely valuable,” said the Rev. Roderick West, a supervisor at True Vine Community Outreach of Lynwood, one of Shelter Partnership’s client agencies.

He said warehouse-supplied goods such as brushes, lotions and other hygiene products make an important addition to the food his co-workers hand out at monthly distributions.

The recent space crunch notwithstanding, Schaffer said Shelter Partnership is loath to pass up a donation.

That attitude was put to the test right after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, he said, when Scott Paper delivered 12 truckloads of paper towels. Those supplies are now running low.

Shelter Partnership can be reached at (213) 688-2188.