“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan
Recently we saw the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral catch fire and burn almost into oblivion. Many people including billionaires pitched in to raise money to help rebuild this monumental building. Just by April 16th, roughly $1 million was raised. This rose the question on how many important issues could be solved or helped if people would put effort into it like with Notre Dame, issues like homelessness.
Helping the homeless is more than giving them a few bucks or a meal. Giving a homeless individual a few dollars or a single meal will help them in the short run but will ultimately keep them stuck in the cycle of homelessness. There are actual ways to help however. The most prominent way is to educate yourself.
There are multiple reasons a person becomes homeless, lack of affordable housing, loss of a job, divorce, illness, substance abuse, domestic abuse, and so on, and educating oneself can help understand why an individual got to that place to begin with.
Donating or volunteering is another practical way to help the homeless community. Donating items that will help them in the long run like clothing, especially interview clothing, can go a long way. Many homeless shelters are underfunded and cannot afford full time staff. Volunteering can help these shelters or soup kitchens provide help to more people than they initially may have been able to. If you are skilled in a certain area, you can even offer to volunteer and teach homeless individuals which could help them get a leg up in a job interview.
HELP THEM FIND JOBS! This is a top way to actually help someone who is homeless. Have a conversation with them and see what are their strengths and ask others if they are willing to hire them. Often people find one small act like this can change a persons life and help them get back into society.
One interesting way is to use your smartphone to help the homeless. There are apps out there that will donate items to homeless individuals the more you use it. In Atlanta, every post you upload on the Luv4wrd app equals a coat, blanket or pair of gloves to someone living on the streets. To find other apps that may help, simply Google where you live to see if your town has ways to help the community.
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