A Helping Hand

Giving a helping hand to the homeless.

The nation's homeless population grew last year for the fourth year in a row. On a single night in January 2020, there were more than 580,000 individuals who were homeless in the United States, a 2% increase from the year before. Among the report's more sobering findings: homelessness among veterans and families did not improve for the first time in many years. Also, more than 106,000 children were homeless during the once-a-year count, conducted in most communities across the nation.

Yet when we see them living on the streets, what’s the first thing that usually comes to mind? Do we think they deserve it for making bad life decisions? Or do we stop and ask ourselves how we could help them? Admit it or not, most of us do the former. As a society, we’re wired to distrust people who we feel are not making good contributions to the community. Yet it is not always their life decisions that are at fault. It’s mostly about the circumstances that they found themselves in, to which there is no easy way out. Thus, instead of blaming them for the things that are beyond their control, we need to help them. And a great way to give the homeless a helping hand would be through this campaign!

STEPS

1. Organize! Create a list of the things you need to do:

Make a list of things you plan on donating to the homeless shelter
1. Ex: thick socks, hygiene kits, snacks, etc.
2. Also include a handwritten note to show there are people who care for them!
Which local food pantry/ homeless shelter are you going to volunteer at?

2. Reach out! Contact a local homeless shelter and let them know your initiative. Ask them if you could give them the donated items and have them distribute it among the homeless. Contact a local food pantry and ask if you can volunteer there. (Volunteering will give you an insight into your community members who are suffering.)

3. Act! Now that you have everything planned, go through with it!

4. Fill out the Volunteer Form! Get volunteer hours based on the pictures submitted.

Campaign by: Britney Tran