FUNDRAISER 1: SCAN THE QR CODE TO JOIN OUR FUNDRAISING TEAM FOR WORLD AIDS DAY OR CLICK HERE.
OR
FUNDRAISER 2: GYM BAR’S OWN AARON MUNAR IS RUNNING A MARATHON TO SUPPORT HANDLE WITH CARE. SCAN THE QR CODE OR CLICK HERE TO DONATE BY OCTOBER 18, 2026.
The mission of Handle With Care (HWC) is to help people who are experiencing homelessness with their daily needs while also acting as a bridge to other services and opportunities to improve their lives.
In a perfect world, there wouldn’t be a single person living on our streets. Until that day comes, there are people that need our help.
To fulfill our mission, our nonprofit's amazing volunteers pack and distribute care packages with supplies for people experiencing homelessness. The care packages include food and water, personal care items, and resource guides to other social services.
Handle With Care also advocates for public policies that support the unhoused community and promote affordable housing.
2
Cities served
Los Angeles, CA and Portland, OR
9000 +
Care packages distributed
2500
Event volunteers
(includes repeat volunteers)
The care package
What's in a care package?
Our care packages provide emergency supplies to people in need. Our volunteers can engage in conversation, let the recipient know we care, and provide details about social services in the area.
A typical care package includes:
Bottled water
Tuna packets and other protein
Apple sauce, cereal bars and crackers
Comfortable socks
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Deodorant, sunscreen, bandaids, and personal care items
Trash bags, soap and many other items
Every care package item is either donated or purchased by our nonprofit. For some, this is the only food they will have that day and the only new pair of socks they will have for weeks or months.
Handle With Care welcomes donations of funds or care package items.
Our story
Five friends saw a need in the community
In January 2018, five friends gathered over a meal and discussed the issues of homelessness in our community and beyond. We decided to be the change instead of just talking about the problem. We gathered funds, organized friends, and hit the streets in February 2018 for our first distribution of care packages.
Since then, HWC has engaged hundreds of volunteers, distributed thousands of care packages, organized fundraisers, received city recognitions, and connected with hundreds of amazing people living on the streets. Get involved - we need you.
(The HWC founders are Matt Fritch, Tyler Gutowsky, Kellan Martz, Ted Morales, & John Santos)
Handle With Care is forever grateful to Kimberly Eaton, a loyal & longtime volunteer who passed away in August 2022. Your spirit, humor, kindness, & honesty will live on through our organization & the people we help.
Kellan Martz President
Tyler Gutowsky Vice President
Lisa Brubaker Board Member
Marc Carter Board Member
Mark Gamarra Board Member
Jerrick Holloway Board Member
Nita Voravudhi Board Member
Tom MacKendrick Board Member
Matt Fritch, John Santos, Ted Morales, Ross von Metzke Emeritus Board Members
Donate
Thank you for your support.
Volunteer
Help us help others
Contact Us
Please contact us for more information about our organization, including joining our volunteer events. We will respond as soon as soon as we can.
Our partners
A generous thank you to the organizations who have partnered with us to support our mission
We welcome additional community partners to build relationships and further expand our impact with the unhoused communities we serve. Please send us an email for more information.
SCAN QR CODE TO JOIN OUR FUNDRAISING TEAM FOR
WORLD AIDS DAY OR CLICK HERE.
TEST
