Suggestions for helpful people to help.

[MavrikManna]

If you are well situated and want to help unhoused people then become a Respite Person.

Keep in mind that they are in an uncomfortable situation. No one is ever “normalized” to this situation. Any self-esteem is hanging by a thread. Be gentle in speech and actions. It’s an uncomfortable situation for every body.
Don’t assume that being unhoused means they have nothing to do. You would be amazed at how busy you get when you are unhoused and unemployed. Even busier if you are unhoused and employed. Make appointments with him/her and keep the appointments.

And you, as someone who wants to help, need to have boundaries and limits in knowing what you can and cannot do. In what you are willing and not willing to do. And, sad to say, you can’t help everybody.

Having said that…Most of the respite an unhoused person needs wont cost you much in the way of money.

They need a day of respite. A few hours even.
If you can offer a shower and/or doing laundry at your home that would be welcome indeed.
If you can feed them a home cooked meal, well, at any time. That would be welcome.
Let them take a nap in the middle of the day on your couch or back porch. Some place where they can feel safe in the vulnerable position of being asleep.
If you can “adopt” an unhoused person, or two, and let them have use of your home facilities once a week that would be awesome.
If they don’t have a vehicle then offering to take them places once a week would be good. Or on call, as needed. Set your boundaries.
Take them to one or more food banks on a schedule.
Let one or more park at your house over night one night a week. Or two. A good boundary for that would be “don’t park until after 9pm and be gone by 7am” or what ever. With “you may/may not come inside.” Set boundaries.
Let specific ones throw their trash in your trash bins.
Fill up their water bottles. (I had an awesome ministering brother and his wife who let me use their trash bin and refill my water bottles until I didn’t need that help any more. Much gratitude!)
Allow use of a water spigot.
A place where they can work on their own car if they're doing their own repairs.

For more ideas look at the “Preparing to be homeless” viewtopic.php?t=7 section of this board. There is a list of an unhoused persons biggest challenges.

Please consider renting a room at less then $700/month. Most people who are becoming unhoused today is only because of low/fixed income. Not because of drugs, etc. Many men and ladies are on the streets with gray hair and walkers. Some are in wheel chairs. They are clean and sober. They can’t change their income level. Please help.
Oh, and please let them keep their emotional support animals if they have one. They need them. These animals are helping to prevent suicides.

Open your heart. Say a prayer. See where you are led.

Other ideas:
Build a tiny home in your back yard.
Rent a honey bucket (out house) with a code lock.
Pay for one car repair.
Give a gas card.
Give a high visibility vest if they're on foot.


Be Gandalf (the dude on the eagle)...
LOTR The Return of the King - The End of All Things

 
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