7 Practical Ways You Can Help People Experiencing Homelessness
IMPORTANT NOTE: This story was written by John Lingan with minor edits by Nami Matsuo.
There’s never a good time to lack shelter. The sight of someone on the street compels us to make an effort to help. But it can be difficult to know how to make the greatest impact.
There are many more ways to help people experiencing homelessness beyond giving money on the street, steps that you can take to empower the organizations working to help people living on the streets long-term. Here are some of the most practical ones.
1. Make cards to promote nearby shelters.
Find out who’s doing ground-level homeless services in your backyard and familiarize yourself with their locations and any special populations they serve. Then make small cards with their contact info and offer them to people you meet who are living without shelter.
2. Donate clothes, especially socks.
Shelters are always in need of new and gently used clothes, especially personal hygiene items and socks. Share on social media that you’re making the donation and volunteer to bring over any items that others chip in.
3.Volunteer your time.
Most homeless shelters or service organization will welcome your on-hand assistance, and in many cases they have staff members who cultivate volunteer relationships. Be honest about what you’re capable of, whether it’s one event or a regular shift at the shelter.
4. Fundraise.
With social media and crowd-funding options like GoFundMe, it’s never been easier to solicit support for an organization or a cause. Don’t underestimate the power of in-person communal events like bake sales and school campaigns, though.
5. Research your local candidates.
Politicians can dictate your community or city’s policies and funding levels for homeless services and affordable house. Take the time to learn candidates’ proposals on homelessness and the issues that lead to it, and support those who echo your values.
6. Participate in your city’s Point-in-Time count.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds networks of homeless-serving agencies (called “continuums of care” or CoCs) in many cities. CoCs are required to conduct annual or biennial Point-in-Time Counts, where volunteer teams spread out across the city and perform a head count of homeless individuals. That number then becomes an essential data point as HUD decided future funding levels.
7. Remember youth homelessness.
Unaccompanied teens experience homelessness much differently than adults do, and a different network of services addresses their specific needs. Take the time to learn about the youth shelters and homeless-services organizations in your region, and see what kinds of donations and volunteer efforts they need as well.
The Right To Shower products provide another way to help unsheltered individuals. Profits go directly to mobile shower unit NGOs like LavaMaeX, a nonprofit that builds mobile shower units for people who don’t have dependable access to showers of their own. By providing hygiene opportunities directly to people without shelter, LavaMaeX supports the health, warmth, and dignity of the most vulnerable among us. That’s a meaningful step to take, no matter the season.
