The People Concern Partners with The CITYPAK Project to Provide Specially Designed Backpacks for Homeless Individuals: Public Invited to Support Effort via GoFundMe

    LOS ANGELES, CA, July 07, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The People Concern, a nonprofit organization leading the effort to end homelessness in Los Angeles, announced today it has partnered with The CITYPAK Project to provide 1,000 specially designed backpacks to homeless individuals. The People Concern has set up a special GoFundMe campaign to engage the public's support in funding the backpacks. The first 200 backpacks will be distributed Friday, July 13 at 2pm at The People Concern's Access Center, located at 503 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA, 90401.

The custom backpacks are manufactured by noted outdoor gear brand High Sierra. Some of the features included in the ballistic nylon pack include: a cinch-top closure to protect from weather and theft; a reflective webbing strip for safety while traveling at night, an integrated rain poncho that covers both the bag and person, sternum and load bearing straps to help distribute the weight of heavy loads. High Sierra and The CITYPAK Project work together to dramatically discount the cost of the custom made backpack to provide access to great numbers of homeless individuals.

The CITYPAK Project is an initiative by the Selma Breskin Kaplan Foundation and was founded by Chicago businessman and philanthropist Ron Kaplan. Inspired by the simple desire to create something that would make life on the streets of Chicago a little easier, Ron shared his idea with the design team at the international adventure travel gear manufacturer High Sierra and they immediately signed on. To date, 45,000 CITYPAKS have been distributed to homeless individuals in more than 100 cities.

"The result of our new partnership with The People Concern is putting Citypaks in the hands of those that need them, spreading our reach throughout Los Angeles," said CITYPACK Founder Ron Kaplan.

Informed by more than 50 years of work in the community, The People Concern understands the complexities of homelessness and the realities of life out on the streets. Because of this, the organization finds the features of the backpack ideal for those facing difficult situations, which can often include theft, harsh weather conditions and more.

"These packs will not only offer our clients some peace of mind but also offer our field teams the opportunity to make more connections out on the streets and discuss our services in our efforts to get more people housed, healthy and safe," said The People Concern Executive Director John Maceri.

About The CITYPAK Project

The CITYPAK Project is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that works to provide custom designed backpacks to homeless persons in need. Working with exclusive manufacturing partner High Sierra, The CITYPAK Project will have distributed over 45,000+ PAKs to homeless in 118 cities by years end across North America, including Chicago, New York City, Boulder, Maui, Austin, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Tampa, Hazelton, PA and international distributions in Toronto and Vancouver. For more information, visit www.citypak.org.


About The People Concern

One of Los Angeles County's largest social services agencies, The People Concern is working to end homelessness through its proven approach that focuses on housing first with wraparound services. The People Concern provides a fully integrated system of care – including outreach, housing services, mental and medical health care, substance abuse services, life skills, and wellness programs – tailored to the unique needs of homeless individuals and victims of domestic violence. Ninety-five percent of those in housing supported with wraparound retention services will never be homeless again. This innovative evidence-based model has been proven in communities throughout Los Angeles County and recognized and replicated across the country. For more information, visit www.thepeopleconcern.org.

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