How to Help a Homeless Person

In such a prosperous country, it is amazing how many people are homeless. Volunteers of America  cites that as of 2017 there were “…over 553,000 Americans were homeless. 40 million people struggle with hunger and 40.6 million officially live in poverty.”  Homeless persons are in  ALL our communities. Some homeless may be our family members or people we know. The question is how to help a homeless person.

The National Homeless Org has some great ideas on how we can help homeless persons. They use a acronym called CAREing:

C – Contribute

A – Advocate

R – Reach Out (volunteering)

E – Educate

1. CONTRIBUTE – How to Help a Homeless Person.

This can include clothing, household goods, books, Homeless Survival Kits, and job opportunities. These are things that you can contribute to a homeless person directly. Also, you can contribute to shelters and other homeless projects. This can include money, expensive or bulky items such as computers, or hold a fundraiser to contribute to a charity that supports the homeless.

2. ADVOCATE – How to Help a Homeless Person.

This is about “…working with various sectors of the community (e.g. city/county officials, members of Congress, direct service providers, and the business community) to develop workable strategies for responding to homelessness.”  Advocating for the homeless means getting connected to a homeless coalition to support their work, follow local politics to advocate political change, engage media (with calls, e-mail, calls, voice opinion), and promote language that is not derogatory toward the homeless.

3. REACH OUT – How to Help a Homeless Person.

This means volunteering your time to work directly with people who are experiencing homelessness. This can include working in a shelter or other direct service agencies, providing professional services ( secretarial, catering, plumbing, and so on), organizing an event at a shelter (game night, storytelling, musical performance, etc.)

4. EDUCATE – How to Help a Homeless Person.

Learn about the root causes of homelessness and share what you learn with others. 

Donate Money, Food, and Goods To A Charity Organization.

The Salvation Army is a good example of a direct service agency where you can donate your money, food and goods, and your time to help homeless persons. Just like many other homeless charities and organizations, they provide:

1. Homeless Shelters – provide a warm, safe place for men, women, and – whenever possible – families to stay
2. Transitional Housing – offer the temporarily displaced, chronically homeless population, and many young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.
3. Permanent Supportive Housing – long-term housing services range from supportive facilities for the elderly and affordable housing programs for low-income seniors to apartment assistance for vulnerable young adults and dedicated living complexes for homeless adults and families.
4. Re-Entry Resources – offer educational support, counseling and vocational services to homeless people, destitute individuals and families, and vulnerable youth.

Contact one of these national agencies (The Salvation Army, The National Homeless Org , Volunteers of America) we have talked about or just search online for local organizations and charities in your neighborhood. Get involved today to start helping the homeless.

For more information from Unvarnished Facts, see articles on humanity and poverty.