How to Help the Homeless this Christmas

Homelessness has been on my mind for a number of reasons ranging from personal history to observing the struggles of a few living on the streets. Not long ago I lived in a town, one night I noticed a lady and her daughter struggling with a couple of drunks hurling abuse at them for being homeless and for the mother being selfish for putting her child through this for her incompetencies. One offered to give them money if the mother followed him around the corner. The whole situation was sickening and exploitative. Rather than heading back home; I went inside the nearby Tesco and asked the staff to go get the community support officers who patrol the area. I informed the drunks that the police were coming, they swore a bit then walked off and I stayed with the pair and chatted until the officers arrived.

Confusion

To this day, I don’t really know if I did the right thing. I no longer live in that town (for unrelated but incredibly positive reasons) and I don’t know what happened after our encounter. I believe that people generally care about other people and that the reason so few offer help to the homeless is because they don’t know what to do. It is easier to ignore the issue than to come to terms with your own complex feelings when you’re unsure how to proceed.

Winter is Here

The holidays are here and they’ve brought with them a bitter and cold winter. One that we’ve barely even begun. It is undeniable that the homelessness crisis isn’t going anywhere however and with that hundreds of thousands will suffer and a significant number of those probably won’t even make it to spring. Without a doubt, this is a time of suffering and one without a solution in sight.

What You Can Do

The heartbreaking fact is that you can’t change this. Neither can I. Yet, this doesn’t stop us being empathetic or offering aid. Being unable to change something is not a reason for indifference. At least I don’t think so. Small acts of kindness are the stepping stones for positivity and change for the better. So, with this in mind; there are actions you can take to help those unfortunate enough to be sleeping on the streets.

Don’t Ignore the Homeless

The worst you can make anyone feel is as though they don’t matter. Ignoring people makes them feel exactly that. Say hello, ask if they need anything and if you can, give their pet some food.

Contact the charity StreetLink

Use their website or their app, it doesn’t matter which. The purpose of StreetLink is to connect the homeless with the services to support them.

Call 999 or Speak to a Local Police Officer

If you see a homeless person being abused or in any kind of danger then call the police. Similarly, if you see a child on the street you should inform them.

Pay It Forward

I know there are mixed opinions generally about ‘paying it forward’. However, I’m not talking about paying for the next customer’s drink or snack at your local cafe. What some places will let you do though is put something in the kitty to reserve a a hot drink for a member of the homeless community. Alternatively, another similar scheme is the suspended coffee program.

Donate

There is conflicting sources as to whether or not you should give money direct. Some sources claim this causes a dependence cycle whereas others say it can be the difference between making it through the night. Use your own discretion as to what your approach is but money is not the only thing you can donate.

All over the country there are clothes banks for the homeless. The YMCA and Salvation Army are popular charities you can donate to.

Volunteer

There is no shortage of charities needing volunteers, especially around christmas time. You can look locally for a soup kitchen currently needing help or charities like Whitechapel Mission, Crisis or Shelter are always after extra bodies to help.