From Your Hand to the Homeless

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How You Can Help Homeless People with a Personal Touch



In an often uncaring world it's important that we reach out to each other. You can give to the homeless in an indirect way (and you should) but giving and caring directly gives homeless people something beyond price - human contact and recognition.

Perhaps the most painful part of homelessness for me was the isolation. At times I felt there was no one in the world that saw me as a human being. While I have a hard time with eye contact myself, I saw that no one met my eyes; they turned their heads and hurried along.

By giving directly to homeless people you give a gift of humanity, dignity, and self-esteem. The items listed here can be life changing for a homeless person but they can serve as an excuse to approach someone who needs your voice, someone who needs to know that someone cares.

Most of the gifts listed below are less than $10 each and many are less than a dollar. So for the cost of a fancy coffee you can make a few lives a little better.  For your convenience, I've listed an online source for most items below their descriptions in case you don't have time to go out and shop for these small gifts.



image by Kylyssa Shay

Mylar Emergency Blankets

Warming gifts for homeless people

Mylar blankets make great gifts for homeless people whether the weather is warm or cold. Mylar emergency blankets can keep in warmth better than any other available blanket of their size but they can also be turned around and used to keep heat off.

Mylar blankets come folded up tight into neat, pocket-sized packets which is why they are perhaps the best blankets to get for homeless people.

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Hand Warmers

photo by Kylyssa Shay

Those little disposable hand warmers can provide warmth and comfort on cold days and nights. Even in warmer climates, homeless people get cold at night.


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Granola Bars, Energy Bars

photo by Kylyssa Shay

Granola bars or energy bars are packed with calories and nutrients yet they are light and easy to carry, they taste good, and they don't spoil easily.

Granola bars make nice little gifts for homeless people because it's easy to slip a handful of them into your pocket in case you run into someone who is homeless.

Bottled Water, Gatorade

In the summer, most homeless people can't get out of the heat so gifts like bottled water or Gatorade can help them to avoid heatstroke.

Moist Towelettes

It's really, really hard to stay clean when you don't have a bathroom of your own. Moist towelettes can help a homeless person feel cleaner when no access to running water is available.

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Hats

photo by Kylyssa Shay


As much as 20% of a person's body heat is lost through his or her head. Hats are the single most effective item to keep a person warmer.

You can buy cheap knit hats at most discount stores such as Family Dollar, Big Lots, and Dollar General. The ones in the photo were at Dollar Tree for just one dollar each.

Knit hats make great gifts for homeless people even during warmer weather because they can also help keep hair cleaner when sleeping outside as well as keeping heads warmer in the cold.

You can also learn more about getting hats to the homeless by visiting Linda's Hats for the Homeless.

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Gloves

photo by Kylyssa Shay


Gloves can keep homeless hands warm in cold weather and at night in warmer weather.

You can often find those stretchy, one-size-fits-all gloves at dollar and discount stores for about a dollar in many dollar and discount stores.

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Dental Care Items

It's hard to keep up with dental hygiene when you are homeless so a toothbrush and a sample-sized tube of toothpaste make another great, compact gift.

You can find these items at big box stores like Target and Walmart, in dollar stores, and in drug stores, often in the sample size aisle. These items usually cost under a dollar.

Compact First Aid Kits

A compact basic first aid kit would be welcomed by many homeless people.

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Combs

photo by Kylyssa Shay

Combs are one of the easiest small gifts to find and to carry. They are durable and take up very little space.

You can get a big package of combs for just a few dollars at most discount stores. You can also find them in dollar stores and big box stores.





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Canteens

It can be hard to find a drinking fountain every single time you need a drink. A canteen can give a homeless person a way to carry water around easily. Regular water bottles are good, too, but they are not as easy to carry if one is carrying all of his or her possessions around, too.

Canteens are harder to find than many of the other items on this page but they make wonderful gifts for homeless people. You can find them online and in military surplus stores. Also, they can sometimes be found in the sporting goods departments of department stores.

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Drink Mix Packets

Homeless people can usually get access to water but water can get boring sometimes. Drink mixes such as hot cocoa envelopes or fruit flavored drinks also provide calories and sometimes other nutrients. Instant breakfast packets (the ones that don't take milk) are really great because they provide a meal as well as a beverage that is a treat.

Hand Sanitizer

photo by Kylyssa Shay

This year H1N1 flu is expected to hit homeless populations harder than the general populace. Hand sanitizer, used properly may kill the flu virus and prevent the spread of germs.

Purse sized sanitizer gel is another cheap and easy gift to carry around.


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Get Out There and Do It!

Give gifts to homeless people

Get out there and give...

And then come back here to tell us about it.
Either contact me through my lensmaster page or drop me a line in the guest book below and I'll link back to your personal account of giving to homeless people.

The Strangelands
"The other day was my birthday. When my princess asked me what I wanted, I told her I didn't know, and I'd think about it. When I finally realized what I wanted, I'm pretty sure it surprised her almost as much as it surprised me.
I wanted homeless kits. "

More on Homelessness from this Author

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Sewing Kits

When your resources are limited, a sewing kit can help keep clothing in good repair. Sewing kits make great gifts for the homeless and are both very portable and very inexpensive.

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Homelessness in the News

Surplus Government Property: Homeless Help vs. Revenue
One piece of the bill ? called Title V ? requires that the federal government must first offer surplus properties to homeless service providers at no cost before giving them away for other public uses or selling them to private buyers.
Atlanta homeless shelter to remain open - for now
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall also had ordered the task force to turn over the shelter to a team run by the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, giving it six months to find housing for the shelter's occupants before turning over the ...
Teens from St. Saviour High School in Park Slope help the homeless by ...
By Mark Morales / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Saint Saviour's High School teens who are giving homeless people in two city parks brown bags of lunch once a month. A group of Brooklyn high school teens are helping the city's homeless one brown bag of lunch at a ...

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Do You Have a Good Gift Idea for Homeless People?

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  • Reply
    sybelle Jan 3, 2012 @ 10:52 pm | delete
    What are your thoughts about providing an address for a homeless person? Perhaps rent a mailbox and allow homeless people to use the address when applying for jobs? Am I on the right track here?

    I am aware that for many homeless people, the question is not about getting a job, but about not being able to work. Still, I think perhaps one or two people might benefit from this idea?

    Thanks for the post.
  • Reply
    Kylyssa Jan 5, 2012 @ 12:17 pm | delete
    Providing a mailing address for a homeless person is a great idea. I used to do so when I lived alone. Getting a rented mailbox would be an even better idea!
  • Reply
    SIALicenceUK Nov 4, 2011 @ 8:13 am | delete
    Very good lens and great cause.
  • Reply
    Rockett May 8, 2011 @ 8:51 pm | delete
    Very useful list of things that would help. Thanks so very much for your inspiring lenses
  • Reply
    COUNTRYLUTHIER Mar 13, 2011 @ 11:16 pm | delete
    It makes a world of difference when you acknowledge someone exists. The ranks of the homeless swelled when the tsunami hit Japan and the same can happen in the current economic tsunami that the US is in. Help as often as you can. Great humanitarian lens you have yourself there!
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About the Author

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Why This Lens Does Not Donate to Homelessness Causes

A few people have asked me "if homelessness has affected you so deeply, why don't you donate your lens earnings to charities that fight homelessness?"

I would love to donate the proceeds of this lens and all of my others to help homeless people. Unfortunately, I'm on the very edge of homelessness myself.

You can read about why I'm in financial difficulty here.
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Kylyssa

I am a "retired" florist turned freelance writer. I enjoy cooking, keeping saltwater fish, and baking fun cakes. I have had some unusual life-experien... more »

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Emergency Mylar Blankets Keep Homeless People Warm or Cool 

Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets (Pack of 10)

Amazon Price: $7.85 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

 

Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in America

Amazon Price: $6.45 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

 

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