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New foundation helps Long Beach’s Wrap The Kids help homeless

A new group called the Red String Foundation picked Long Beach’s own Wrap The Kids for its first grant — and for a job on top of that.

Wrap The Kids is an organization that hires those who are homeless, organized by Susanna Twaite, to help others. The group started a few years ago by sewing quilts for babies — hence “Wrap The Kids” moniker.

Since then, Wrap The Kids has branched out to doing giveaways at holidays, providing supplies to others who are homeless people and more. They became an official nonprofit last year.

The Red String Foundation, meanwhile, is based in Seal Beach. The foundation, incorporated late last year, takes its name from a traditional belief — spanning multiple cultures — that a red string provides protection, faith, good luck, strength and connection.

The Red String Foundation, according to its website, plans programs to help education, community and seniors. It also offers grants to other charities to further their causes.

Wrap The Kids recently received a contract from Red String to make masks for other charities the foundation is helping amid the coronavirus, and a $700 grant to help those who are homeless.

“Recognizing the sewing and quilting capabilities of Wrap the Kids and the need from many of Red String’s charity partners for Personal Protection Equipment,” the foundation’s website said about the contract, “Red String approached Wrap the Kids on funding a project to sew reusable masks that Red String could then donate to several other Red String charity partners.”

Twaite said that the contract for masks paid the group $500, with Wrap The Kids providing the materials. That work is already done, she said.

“I thought I would get them items they normally don’t get donated to them,” Twaite said about how her group will use the grant money. “The packages included water pails with handles to be able to carry water to (their) site. Dog and cat food with food and water bowls for their pets. Some of the packages had small tents, others had folding camping chairs where they don’t have to sit in dirt, others had air mattresses that fit in their tents.”

Wrap The Kids now has a small space at 297 E. Artesia Blvd., and Twaite said donations can be accepted there.

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Source: Orange County Register

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