7 Ways to Help the Homeless | Learning to Serve Others

The Homeless Crisis in America

Homelessness is a growing problem in America, with approximately 553,000 homeless people or 0.17 percent of the population on the streets on any given night (US Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homeless Assessment Report, 2018).

But it shouldn’t be this way. Wouldn’t it be nice if each of us did our part to end homelessness? How hard can it be to reach out and lend a helping hand? It’s not hard at all, and you can reach out and make a difference. You can make positive changes in the lives of those who have no place to call home. You can be fulfilled by serving others. Whether it’s a casual greeting or simple conversation, your words can hold deep meaning to a homeless person. You can give of yourself in many ways, and is there anything better than helping our brothers and sisters in times of need?

Homelessness is defined as those living without permanent or adequate night-time residence (PBS, Facts and Figures, The Homeless, 2009). Many homeless reside in tents, often together in what’s known as tent cities. They are often located in wooded areas or anywhere there is public, vacant land. Sometimes, tent cities are located in areas behind large retail stores, making it easier to access restrooms.

The demographics show that the homeless are predominantly Caucasian adult males, among them veterans, the disabled and the chronically homeless. For all demographics, drug use is an inherent problem.

7 Ways You Can Reach Out and Serve Others

You’ve probably crossed paths with a homeless person at least once in your lifetime. During daylight hours, they can be found almost everywhere–on the streets, sitting in the subway and bus stations, hanging out in parks, reading at the library, or showering at a YMCA.

You may have passed one of the many tent cities in your travels. Some are government-supplied tents and others are communities established by the homeless. These encampments are occupied by a close-knit group, who consider themselves family. They will not rob or harm one another, and they will share what little they have.

If they are in inclement-weather areas, they will often travel together to warmer climates for the winter months, such as Florida on the East Coast and California or Arizona on the West Coast.

Some homeless people are very recognizable. They wear tattered clothing, and they might look unkempt. They often carry a plastic bag with the bare necessities or they will carry a backpack with a change of clothing and a few toiletries.

There are others you might not recognize at all. They might not dress or look destitute. They hold part-time jobs, or even full-time jobs, but they don’t earn enough to pay the rent.

The homeless teenager you see burrowed under a bridge overpass could be a runaway, orphaned, or abandoned. They could be jumping from one friend’s house to another to shower and maybe sleep, they might be walking the supermarket aisles all night because they have no place to go.

You’ve probably seen a homeless person dumpster dive or collect redeemable bottles and cans after a concert or large community gathering. You may have seen them scouring retail and grocery store parking lots for change.

You may never know who they are or what their circumstances are, but this shouldn’t stop you from helping.

Government agencies and lawmakers have yet to solve the homelessness problem that is rampant across the country. They have yet to open enough shelters or build low-income housing. They leave those who fought for our country to lie on the streets in the bitter cold, often suffering from hypothermia because there’s no place warm to go.

You have probably read in a newspaper about a homeless man who died from exposure to the elements, and no one knows who he is because he carried no ID–another John Doe who is given a pauper’s burial.

We as one can’t help every homeless person in our city, but if every reader of this blog were to step up to the plate and reach out to just one or two homeless individuals, we can make a difference.

#1 Offer a Kind Word

You can lift a person’s spirit by saying hello or stopping to chat. Letting a homeless person know you care by offering a kind word and engaging in conversation can lift their spirits. Not all homeless people are open to communication, and if that’s the case, you need to smile and walk away. You don’t want to force conversation on someone who doesn’t want to talk.

But if they are receptive to you, it’s an opportunity to find out about the person without probing. Perhaps after some small talk, they will feel comfortable opening up and may talk about their situation with you. It’s important that if they do, you listen and don’t interrupt.

If you have an engaging conversation for 10 minutes or longer, ask if there’s anything you can do to help.

If the person tells you about family, offer to call a family member. You can offer to call a social service agency, a homeless advocacy agency, or a housing assistance agency.

If you are religious and you learn the person is as well, offer to pray together.

Whether the engagement is a second or two, or an hour or two, the encounter will be rewarding for both you and the forsaken.

Whatever you do, when passing by a displaced person, don’t look at them with judgmental eyes. We should never look down on those who are less fortunate and have fallen on hard times.

Homelessness doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone at any time, so reach out with a smile and kindness.

#2 Volunteer at a Homeless Shelter

If you have the time, even if you can only devote a few hours a week, most homeless shelters welcome a helping hand.

There are many things you can offer to do. Ask the supervisor of the shelter what type of services they need. You could offer to cook or help teach language skills, job skills, or help prepare job resumes.

If you’re a hairdresser or barber, you can volunteer to give residents haircuts and shaves.

You can volunteer a few hours a week helping with shelter activities. Many shelters hold special programs such as bingo or exercise.

Another way to help is to assist with bringing the homeless from the street to the shelter. This is normally done at night, and it can be dangerous, so most volunteers and staff go in groups of three or four.

If you don’t have the time to commit weekly or even monthly, you can volunteer around the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy times for homeless shelters, and these holidays are often when residency will be higher than usual. They might be providing accommodations for more homeless families with children.

These are also times when the shelter’s need for blankets and food are higher, so if you can’t donate your time, a blanket or canned goods would be appreciated.

All you need is a willingness to help.

#3 Offer a Gift Card

Those working with the homeless say you should never give cash because it could be used to purchase alcohol, cigarettes or drugs; however, they do recommend giving gift cards for fast-food restaurants. Not only will it provide them with food, but it can give them the opportunity to find shelter in times of inclement weather.

Most often, a homeless person will appreciate the gift of a hot meal and a chance to get into air conditioning if the temperature is scorching or if it’s cold and snowy. A $5 gift card is adequate for a hot sandwich and a cup of coffee.

You can purchase one or two and carry them with you so if you do happen upon a homeless person, you have one on hand. Again, if they aren’t receptive to it, don’t force it upon them. There are some who will refuse help, and they want to remain in their plight.

You can offer supermarket gift cards, but you won’t know if they will be used for beer or cigarettes. That’s a chance you have to take, and you can only hope that the person will do the right thing and make good choices.

If you can afford to do more, a gift card to a movie theater affords an opportunity to be entertained while relaxing. A few extra dollars over the price of a ticket can be used for popcorn or soda.

Other gift card ideas include a thrift shop if you have one nearby or a bakery. If you can afford a higher-priced gift card, you can get one from a hairdresser or barbershop.

Don’t forget bookstores and newsstands. Just because they live on the street or in a tent city, doesn’t mean they don’t want to read. If they are looking for a job, they will like having access to a daily newspaper.

In the summer, you might want to consider a gift card to an ice cream stand so they can enjoy a nice, cool treat.

There are endless possibilities for you to consider, and you don’t need to spend a lot, nor do you need to seek out the homeless just to hand out gift cards. All you need to do is to keep them handy so that if you do encounter a homeless person, you can offer it.

If you aren’t comfortable handing them out yourself, you can take them to your local shelter and ask one of the staff to distribute them to those who might need them the most.

It’s important to remember, the homeless generally don’t travel more than a couple of miles away on foot from where they hang out at night, so be sure to purchase gift cards from shops located close to where you see them most often. Usually, they will stay close to downtown areas or parks.

Won’t it feel good to know you filled a hungry stomach or saved your fellow man from dehydration, heatstroke or hypothermia? You know it will, and you should feel good for reaching out to help those less fortunate.

#4 Hand Out Blessing Bags

Blessing bags have become popular in recent years. The concept is simple. Take a large Ziploc bag and place items inside, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, travel-size mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, Band-Aids, hand warmers, bar soap, disinfectant wipes, fruit or pudding cups and a heavy plastic spoon, ready-to-eat tuna packs, and any non-perishable food item that doesn’t need to be opened with a can opener or cooked.

You can add a package of pain relievers such as Aleve or Tylenol. You can buy them in the small two-pill packets. For women, you can add sanitary products.

Most of the items can be found at places such as Walmart for $1. They come in sample sizes, and you can fit quite a few samples into the Ziploc bag.

You don’t want to give money, even if it’s just a few dollars. You need to stick to hygiene products and food items.

Some additional recommended items include:

Peanuts
Trail mix
Raisins
Dry cereal
Chewing gum
Dental floss
Crackers
Pretzels
Comb or small brush
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Razors
Tissues
Q-tips
Rain poncho

You don’t want to include candy bars or any food item that could melt. Also, if you include food items and soaps, etc. you’ll want to double bag the food before adding it to the bag so that the food doesn’t taste like bath soap or anything with fragrance.

You can add gift cards to the bags. Keep the cards to $5 or under, and the best cards for the blessing bags are for fast-food restaurants.

Of course, you want your blessing bag to carry a message inside. You can find many downloadable sayings you can print, cut, and add to the bag.

You will find saying such as, “You matter,” and “Don’t lose hope,” or “Just because.” There are dozens of ideas that you can find by searching “Blessing bag sayings.”

Now that you have all of the bags put together, how do you distribute them?

You have several options. You can carry a few in your car and give them out whenever you see a homeless person on the street corner. If you can pull over safely, reach out and offer the bag. You will find that most will gladly take it. If not, move on.

Another option is to walk around your downtown or parks during the daytime and offer them to those you encounter. You don’t want to be too aggressive, simply ask if they would like one for themselves or to pass to someone they know who might have a need.

It’s best not to do either of the above when you’re alone. You should always have someone with you.

If you aren’t comfortable passing the bags out yourself, you can bring them to your local shelter. Most shelters are not-for-profit organizations run by churches or local governments, and they depend on the community for donations of all kinds. Generally, they receive little in state or federal funding, usually just enough to pay staff. Shelters also rely on volunteers for various things, as we mentioned above.

If you can’t afford to purchase what’s needed to fill one or two bags, you can make it a community effort and request donations or ask your schools to get involved.

Your schools can ask students to donate one food or hygiene product, and their teachers could have them put the bags together. You don’t have to do it on your own.

You can organize a donation drive at your church or simply get a group of your friends together to fill the bags.

You’ve probably heard of couples asking for blessing bag donations in lieu of wedding gifts. The family of a woman who passed away after dedicating her life to helping the homeless requested in lieu of flowers that mourners put together a blessing bag in her honor or donate to their local shelter.

Don’t forget, you can always ask your local shops for donations.

Whether you put together blessing bags and distribute them on your own or you do it collectively with others, it’s a perfect way to serve your community.

And don’t forget, you don’t want to use a plastic grocery bag because it can be difficult for a homeless person to carry it around. The Ziploc bag works well and because it can be tightly sealed, it keeps the contents away from the elements.

#5 Create a Giving Tree

Giving trees have been successful in many communities. You’ll need to get permission from your local government to use a public space, such as a park.

Purchase or collect socks, knit hats, scarves, and gloves and hang them on the lower branches of a tree. The items need to be placed in a Ziploc bag to protect them from inclement weather and be sure they’re sealed tight.

You can use clothespins to hang the items and you can leave some extra clothespins on the tree because you’ll find that other members of the community will see the tree and donate items as well.

If you know of a local knitting group, you can ask if anyone would be willing to donate hand-knit scarves. The homeless welcome them, and they are great for helping to fend off the cold and brutal winds of winter.

Word will spread quickly among the homeless community, and you may find the bags gone within a few days.

You can expect one or two bags to be taken by kids or someone who isn’t homeless, but the majority of people will respect who they are for and not steal charity.

If you don’t want to do this outside, you can use an artificial tree and place it inside a church or at a shelter. Many churches have community rooms that can be used for such a purpose, and there can be designated days or times for pickup.

If you have a lot of items, you can lay them out on a table in a church room or at a community center.

Don’t forget to ask your local schools if they’d like to get involved. If you live in an area with a college, you can put the word out and perhaps get some students to volunteer.

For the homeless who must remain in areas with cold winters, the winter woolens are much appreciated.

#6 Hire the Homeless

If you have odd jobs for a homeless person, you can offer them work. Anything that can be done outside, such as raking leaves or cleaning a swimming pool.

You can partner with local organizations to find someone to work around your house for you. You’ll be surprised by how many homeless people are willing to work and earn money for a meal or a change of clothing.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how willing the person is to work and how hard they work. Many homeless aren’t homeless by choice, and they are smart and have many skills.

Be cautious, however, as hiring a homeless person to work around your house takes a lot of trust. You can ask your local shelter staff to recommend someone.

If you own a business, you can hire someone to work for you. There will be a couple of challenges, one being that the homeless don’t have permanent addresses for income tax reporting purposes. That can become a problem, so it’s best to seek advice from a tax professional before hiring.

Your new hire could run into a problem cashing paychecks because many don’t have any form of identification.

The homeless person might encounter difficulty getting to and from work. Transportation can be a roadblock if your business isn’t within a reasonable walking distance. Keep in mind, too, that many living on the streets don’t have cell phones so getting in touch with them can be impossible. If you need to call the person in to work if you’re short-staffed, you won’t be able to.

If the person will be visible to your clientele, you’ll want to provide a uniform or clothing that isn’t soiled. You do need to keep up appearances, and you can’t have someone working for you who has poor hygiene and no clean clothing. Go the extra mile to make a homeless person work-ready and they will appreciate it, and you will benefit.

Do not, under any circumstances, exploit the homeless. Pay a fair wage, don’t treat them as slaves, and don’t demean them. You want to build them up and give them confidence and hope.

You can do that, and you can make a huge difference in a life.

#7 Advocate

If you aren’t able to financially help out, but you have extra time, you can advocate for the homeless.

This means connecting with them in your community and helping them connect with available services such as housing, food, and medical care.

The possibilities are endless for advocacy. You can reach out to agencies such as the National Coalition for the Homeless or the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and ask how you can help.

Always reach out to your local and state government officials.

Several years back, a 6th-grade student from a small city in upstate New York attended a meeting of her county representatives.

As she spoke on behalf of the homeless community, she asked why the county taxpayers were paying for a “Director of Homeless Services” when the county offered no homeless services.

Hanging their heads in shame, the 25 lawmakers, embarrassed by an 11-year-old girl, took action to begin providing services.

Sometimes it takes shaming lawmakers into action.

Give the homeless a voice by encouraging them to register to vote. Again, it can be a problem if they have no permanent address; however, most shelters will allow their residents to use their address. The best way to combat homelessness is to engage your local officials.

Before you begin advocating, you need to know what services are available and what services are lacking that you can reasonably support. You’ll also want to contact people working with the homeless in other communities with successful programs.

This also brings us back to #1. Reach out, talk to the homeless. Find out why they are where they are, and what they’d like to do. Do they have goals? Do they want to work? Do they want to return to school? Do they have a family?

You can find the answers to all or most of these questions by being kind, caring, and compassionate. Don’t probe and don’t force. Just listen. Be a friend. Offer to help them find their way off of the streets.

You can learn about all the services your community offers by contacting social service agencies, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) representatives, and finding out what medical and dental services are available for those unable to pay.

You may have a dentist in your community who sees pro bono patients on certain days of the week. You might have a free clinic that provides free checkups and medicine.

You’ll want to check bus routes, and you can give bus tokens for the homeless to travel from one end of town to the other.

There are many ways you can advocate for the homeless, and if you have the time, you can make a big difference in your community and in the lives of others.

You can volunteer at soup kitchens and ensure the homeless know where they are located and their hours of operation.

Some soup kitchens are understaffed and aren’t open every day of the week, although they try to be.

Visit food banks and get fresh fruit to hand out to those on the street or deliver a basket of fruit to a tent city.

Bottled water is always a welcomed gift, as is a hot cup of coffee. When you’re walking around reaching out to the homeless, offering water, coffee, or even soda is an excellent icebreaker to set the wheels of conversation in motion.

Breaking the communication barrier is the best way to learn what advocacy services are needed.

You’d be surprised by the number of disabled homeless who have no idea they are eligible for Social Security disability income. You can be their advocate and assist them through the process. You can assist with supplying the necessary forms and helping to fill them out properly.

You can find out if they’re eligible for free or low-cost housing, or if they qualify for food or cash assistance.

For many, the problem is not having the transportation to apply for services or not being able to complete the paperwork.

These are areas where you can be of assistance.

You can find out about emergency centers, drop-in centers, supportive housing, and transitional housing services. Many communities have these services available but sometimes aren’t reaching out to those they are there to serve.

You may have seen a homeless person with a dog. These are often attachments that the homeless person can’t part with. Pets can provide the emotional support that’s needed for street survival. We all become attached to our furry friends and to part with them is painful and can be emotionally devastating, especially if the pet is all you have.

If you see a homeless person with a pet, do what you can to help out. A handful of dry dog food, some water in a bowl, dog biscuits… they will be appreciated.

You might need to advocate for the homeless pet owner as some shelters won’t allow pets, and that’s why the person remains sleeping on the street. They aren’t willing to sacrifice a night with their beloved pet. If you have no shelter that will accept pets, advocate for one. Ask the community for help to build a couple dog houses on shelter property. Be the voice for those who have none.

Be sure to check with your local homeless agencies to learn what you can do to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

Serve Others by Serving the Homeless

We have given you seven ideas for helping the homeless. Within those seven main ideas are many sub-ideas.

We live in a country where homelessness is a serious problem, and for decades no one has been able to provide a workable solution to end this heartbreaking and unnecessary dilemma.

If each one of you can do just one thing to combat homelessness, then we will have a good beginning to the end.

As a community, we need to have a better understanding of the plight of the homeless. We need not snub our nose and assume every homeless person chooses their fate or prefers to live on the streets.

There will also be a small percentage of people who made the choice of lifestyle and they won’t change or accept help. Often, these are the mentally ill and they will know no other way of life. They feel safe in their tent cities and on the streets.

Many of us can’t fathom how we as a first-world country can allow our citizens to live in such deplorable conditions. How can we let our service members who fought for our freedom sleep under a bridge wrapped in a tattered blanket? How can we let them go hungry? How can we turn our backs on our fellow man?

For reasons unknown, or maybe too well known, we do this. We think that if we ignore the problem, it will go away.

It doesn’t go away, and it will never go away without each of us doing our part.

As we said at the beginning of this post, homelessness is a crisis in America, and it’s a crisis that we have let fester for far too long.

Governments cut services to those who advocate and service the destitute. They vote to make cuts to services that are desperately needed in a community and then go to their million-dollar homes and sit in comfort at their dining table overflowing with food.

This is not how it should work. Every lawmaker should spend a few days living as the homeless live, then perhaps they’d be more sympathetic and understanding of the cause and they’d do more to help.

Until that day comes, it’s up to you and me to make a difference, even if it’s only in the life of one person.

We need to step up to the plate and go to bat for the homeless.

Sure, at Thanksgiving and Christmas we generously give to those in need. Sadly, for many, it’s the only time of the year they give and there are 10 more months of need.

As you consider what you can do, you should also think about engaging others to assist.

Make a list of what you can do as an individual and what you can do as a group. When you’ve completed your list, write down where you can go to accomplish your goals.

If you want to find a knitting group to make scarves and hats, contact the nearest yarn shop.

If you want to start an advocacy group for helping the homeless with various tasks, reach out on social media. You can bring people together for a common cause using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Don’t underestimate the power of social media. You can start a group page on Facebook and post about the plight of the homeless. You can start a blog dedicated to the cause.

Connecting with friends and strangers through social media will allow you to work together to find solutions.

When you begin to serve others and you see that first smile or receive a warm handshake, it will be your inspiration to do more. Remember, you can’t help everyone and you can’t help those who won’t accept it, but don’t let that discourage you from your mission.

If every one of us thought, “Why bother, I’m only one person and I can’t make a difference,” then we wouldn’t make a difference. Complacency breeds inactivity and inactivity breeds more problems.

Trust your instincts and follow your heart. Serving others is the gateway to feeling good about ourselves. If you feel as if your life has no purpose, give it purpose.

You will truly love the feeling you get from giving… time, money, merchandise, gift cards… it doesn’t matter what you give, it’s that you give.

Streetlife isn’t an easy life, and if you’re given the opportunity to make it better for someone, please do so.

We hope this has given you some ideas of ways to help. You may have some ideas of your own, and if you do, we’d love to hear them.

Working together we can do anything!