How to help the homeless

There are many ways of helping the homeless. The purpose of this lens is to investigate one particular method: Making care packages in backpacks.

With a few basic items and pieces of information, a homeless person might be able to find themselves work and therefore a house. But getting hold of these vital goods can be difficult and expensive for the homeless person.

Fill each backpack with vital items for getting work, essential comfort items, hygiene products & information.

By approaching local businesses for donations, co-ordinating the packages and distributing the backpacks to homeless people you will be doing a great service for homeless people in your local area.

If you manage to successfully co-ordinate these backpacks for homeless people, then please mention it in the comments!

Please take a minute to look at the lens "What to buy if you are homeless". It details the primary goals of a determined homeless person who can see a way out. It also lists exactly which items are most useful for getting out of the homeless rut.

My lens will be exploring how to get hold of these items in order to distribute them to homeless people in your local area. It's probably a good idea to read Kylyssa's explanation for each item firsthand so you truly understand the importance of each part of this list.

Also, see more of Kylyssa's links for helping the homeless: Best Way to Help The Homeless & How to help the Homeless for Free

Here's another great list Kylyssa linked to: 35 Ways to Help the Homeless

Okay, we need to admit that not all homeless people are determined and on the ball. Many have psychiatric problems, drug problems or are just depressed about their current homeless situation (can you blame them?). These people need even more help.

But, there are still a great number of people who are only homeless for a relatively short amount of time. These are the people who slipped through the cracks, but still have enough willpower to get back up again. These people could spend months trying to get back up by themselves. Or, with a little help, they might be able to pull themselves up much quicker. Sometimes even the depressed people can also see a beacon of light in what you offer and it will change things for them.

I know it's terrible that there's no easy fix for everyone, but consider this: By helping out some of the homeless people, you're freeing up valuable resources for the homeless people who don't have any other hope.

Every bit helps directly or indirectly.

Taking donations and redistributing to homeless people will require bookkeeping, records and a legal entity to be responsible for everything. You probably don't want that legal entity to be you. If there are any accidents (either in the office or out delivering backpacks) you might also need insurance.

If you want to help homeless people with donations, make sure you are part of a registered organisation with insurance.

You may feel that starting your own non-profit organisation (and getting your own insurance) is the way to go. That's a big step and you will have a lot of work to do to set it up.

It's probably easiest to approach an existing charity in your local area and see if you can work with them. Show them your plan for backpack donations and see if they are keen to support the project. They may even already have a similar plan in place - in which case you can help them to improve donations and deliver the goods.

It really is easy to approach businesses for charitable donations. It's best done by visiting in person and asking to speak to the manager. However, you will need some sort of explanation letter to leave with them.

I thought I'd share an example letter with you.

To whom it may concern,

We are a charity organisation working to provide essential goods and services to homeless people in our local area. Our current project is to deliver backpacks of vital goods to homeless people on the streets, so that they might find work, homes and live more comfortably in the meantime.

In order to find work (and later a home), a homeless person is faced with an enormous difficulty. To apply for work one needs to have an address, a phone to be contacted on, a bank account to be paid into, clean interview clothes, somewhere to wash and enough food, comforts and stability that they can be on time, well-rested and fed for the interview.

Our organisation is providing information, services and these essential items to homeless people. All of the goods and services required are donated by local businesses. We would like to ask you to consider donating some of your goods and services towards the project. This could be in the form of goods or vouchers and can be donated either in bulk or monthly.

Thankyou for your interest in helping the homeless. Please contact us if you would like to donate to the project.

Make sure you've got contact details and that for each business you specify what you would like them to donate.

Postal Address
Ask Post Offices in city areas if they would be able to hold aside a post box (or share their own post box number) just for homeless people. If this doesn't work, get together with some friendly people to pay for one postbox and tell the post office what you're doing.

Phone number
It might not be too hard to get sponsorship from a local phone company and/or pawn shop to provide second-hand mobile phones (with chargers) with pre-paid phone numbers to homeless people. It would be SO easy for big mobile phone companies to suggest people donate their old phones when they buy a new one. Mobiles also tend to have alarm clocks in them.

Don't forget that you'll have to register all of the phone numbers under your charity name and address.

Showers and Electricity
Anyone could try to lobby councils into providing showers for homeless people (with places they can recharge their phone). Work on that slowly.

In the meantime, another idea is to simply collect information on places where a homeless person might be able to take a shower.

• In warmer climates there are often showers available to all in public bathrooms near beaches or directly on the beach.
  
• Some petrol stations offer showers to customers (they might have to buy something).
  
• Some council areas may already have public bathrooms.
  
• Public swimming pools have showers, but an entry fee to the pool would be applicable. Perhaps talk to local pools about providing vouchers for entry to homeless people.
  

Smaller Supermarket Items
Get one large supermarket to donate of all the smaller items mentioned - Backpack, blanket, soap, brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, underwear, etc. Perhaps even throw in a few muesli bars. These things cost very little and a large supermarket could easily wear the cost for a little local goodwill. Talk to the manager and organise a monthly donation of goods.

Second Hand Clothes
Get hold of vouchers for $20 worth of charity clothes. Most charity shops exist in theory to help the homeless. If you can assure them that the vouchers will indeed go to homeless people then they will probably honour the voucher. Maybe offer to report regularly to the charity clothes store with a list of names for homeless people who you have given vouchers. This way they know who is really eligible and can help the right people.

Food Donations
Talk to local fast food businesses or restaurants about offering meal vouchers for homeless people. Also speak to supermarkets about donating non-perishable food that doesn't require cooking, such as muesli bars and dried fruit.

Other Services
Homeless people need many services that would feel out of reach - especially if they want to be fit and presentable for work. See if you can make arrangements for vouchers or perpetual agreements with the following services:

• Health - Talk to local doctors and pharmacists about the possibility of offering free advice and basic medications to homeless people.
  
• Haircuts - Find a hairdresser willing to donate vouchers for basic haircuts to homeless people.
  
• Skills - Find people willing to donate time and expertise to teach skills to homeless people, eg. trade skills, reading, resume skills, interview skills, job search skills.
  
• Cleaning clothes - Find a laundromat wiling to provide free services to homeless people.
  
• Childcare - See if a city-based childcare centre would be willing to look after children while homeless parents attend job interviews.
  

Newly homeless people often have no idea where to turn for help - especially younger people who are still not familiar with social services and charities. Writing out guides for local services can really help these people. You never know what might help them that they didn't know about.

Don't forget: Long-term homeless people may well know more than you do about local services, so be sure to ask them if anything should be added to the list!

• Print copies of the "What to buy if you are homeless" article!
  
• Create a printout of local places which will help the homeless (charities, soup kitchens, social services, public bathrooms and libraries with internet).
  
• Make a map of the city centre and the facilities available.
  
• Print out some basic resume advice.
  
• Print out the details of the post box for homeless people.
  
• Print a list of addresses for doctors and chemists willing to help homeless people.
  

Now that you've chased up donations, the completed backpacks can be put together.

The backpacks should contain:

• Emergency Blanket
  
• Soap
  
• Anti-Perspirant
  
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
  
• Hair Brush
  
• Plastic Drop Cloth
  
• Hats & Gloves
  
• Pepper Spray (if legal)
  
• Underwear & Socks (Make separate packs for Males/Females)
  
• Vouchers for clothing
  
• Vouchers for services
  
• Vouchers for food at fast-food places or local restaurants who want to help.
  
• Printed Information Guides (Local services, public bathrooms, advice, maps of services)
  
• Details of Postbox they can use for an address.
  
• Handful of muesli bars or similar food that doesn't require cooking or storage.
  
• Add add a mobile phone if required (with the details of the phone number).
  

Do a little research into where local homeless people are eating and sleeping regularly so that you know where to take the backpacks.

You might want to keep a register of homeless people who have previously been given backpacks, both for follow-up and to ensure fair distribution of backpacks.

Keep in mind your personal safety when delivering the backpacks. Stay with a group and be prepared to meet people who do not want your help.

Most of the time, we were greeted with open arms, but occasionally, some of the homeless didn't want to be bothered. Case in point: we came across a man lying on the park grass. He had a large folding knife stuck in the ground next to him. We approached cautiously and announced ourselves. He then grabbed the knife as if to say "back off - I mean it." We didn't press our luck. We weren't out there to be heroes or force anything on anyone. He didn't want anything to do with us, so we didn't argue. Our safety was more important than him getting a snack. - From JoshC's "How to Help the Homeless"

If you're giving mobile phones to homeless people you are probably also keeping track of which mobile number goes to which person. This list can double as a contact list for follow-up calls.

When you're distributing the backpacks to homeless people, be sure to ask if it's okay to follow-up with them down the track. Make sure you clearly note who does and doesn't want follow-up calls. You don't want to upset people!

Calling after a short time (week/fortnight) to see how they're doing could be extremely beneficial to the homeless person.

• See if they're eating okay, if the goods you've provided are helpful, if vouchers have been honoured without incident.
  
• Ask if there's anything else they would suggest adding to the packs.
  
• Ask about their applications for social services or work. See if you can help them with advice or simple things like printing.
  
• See if they need help arranging bank accounts (useful to keep money safe, get paid from social security or job).
  
• Generally ask what else might help them at the moment and then see what you can do to find appropriate help.