February 23, 2012

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Helping the Homless in You Community

Homeless Shelter 

Image by Tobyotter via Flickr

Deciding to lend a helping hand to those in need is a wonderful act.  Each community finds people that have fallen on hard times. They cannot provide the basic items they need to survive. No matter what has placed them in that position, their needs outweigh their means. Daily life is a struggle. They seek shelter. Helping out at a local homeless shelter is a good thing.

The main reasons that have contributed to the rise in homelessness over the last two decades are poverty and lack of affordable housing.  When employment opportunities are slim, cuts in pay or benefits can make a dent in one’s financial security. Sometimes the financial load grows to large and sets an unfortunate chain of events in motion. Homes can become foreclosed on, leaving people in need of somewhere to live. Some of those displaced from difficult circumstances find themselves at a shelter.

By choosing to volunteer your time to assist at a local shelter, you are providing an invaluable source of help to these organizations. Many shelters are run by non-profit agencies and community churches. Whether you serve a hot meal, help someone with their resume, or perform light office filing, you are making a difference. If you are able to donate time, see which shelters are in your area.

People are busy. Sometimes finding time can be a challenge. Shelters are constantly in need of basic items such as shampoo, razors, toothbrushes and shaving cream. These gifts are accepted with gratitude. Another unfortunate aspect of homelessness are the children affected. Shelter life can be hard for a child. Donations of diapers, children’s multi-vitamins and clothing are priceless.

 

Filed Under: Homeless, Real Estate Tagged With: , ,

Penny Sit-Ups and Four Penny Coffins – Early Homeless Shelters

Salvation Army homeless clients at Blackfriars...

Image via Wikipedia

A homeless shelter is a place for homeless or displaced peoples to stay temporarily. Typically, such shelters are only available during the night and the residents are to spend their time elsewhere during the day. In Victorian era London, two of the earliest examples of what we would call homeless shelters became known as the penny sit-up and the four penny coffin.

The penny sit-up was a shelter in which the homeless could pay a penny to sit indoors, out of the elements. For their penny, patrons got a seat on a bench and not much else. Some penny sit-ups provided food, but sometimes it was just the bench that people could sit on during the night. They, however, were not allowed to lie down and sleep on the bench though presumably they were free to sleep sitting up.

The penny sit-up provided only a bench, warmth, and usually a little food. What was termed the four penny coffin – or coffin house – provided food and a place to lie down and sleep. People paid a small amount and, for the night, they received shelter, food, a simple wooden, coffin-like box, and a tarp for covering. Some organizations provided actual beds, but at higher prices.

By today’s standards, these shelters are considered largely inadequate or harsh. In their day though, they were economical and even compassionate. Many were run by the Salvation Army – an organization that continues to provide for the homeless and displaced today. Though nowadays, the Salvation Army generally doesn’t rent out a coffin and tarp for a night’s use.

Filed Under: Homeless Tagged With: , ,

You Don’t Have to Look Far for a Shelter

Shelters are there to help people that are down on their luck and need a hand up. Shelters offer food and clothing to people when they come in. For the shelters to keep helping they need to take in daily donations from the good people in the communities they operate in. Shelters need the support of the community to thrive and help out those who are in need.

Some shelters are run by churches and offer counseling to the people that seek it out. If you have ever been in one of these shelters you may have noticed that they are kept really clean. Sometimes these shelters are kept up better than other shelters, because the church members have a hand in them. Church member also go there to donate their time to be a good a Samaritan to their fellow man. If you are part of a church you can ask your spiritual leader if your church runs a shelter or anything like it.

Shelters need help from everyone in the community to work well. Even boy scouts can help out by preparing meals and serving the homeless. Anyone looking to do god’s work can volunteer their time to a shelter and help people. Most of the people in a shelter just want a bed for the night and hot food to eat so they are not so hungry. Some of the people will sit and listen to what is being preached and may even join in to add their colorful version to the story.

Filed Under: Economy, Low-Income Housing Tagged With: , ,

Churches Help the Homeless

Homelessness is often considered a problem in society and the society will want to eliminate this problem through programs. Some people call the programs social safety nets, but for anyone without a home it’s a God send. If you become homeless and cannot contact family or friends there is help for you out there. Churches are a great place to go if no one can help the situation you’re in. churches are full of caring people that offer a helping hand to lift you up out of your situation. The only reason why anyone would not go for help is because they are stubborn or they just don’t feel comfortable with it.

To be comfortable with going to a church for help, you need to understand that the people actually do care about the situation you’re in. They want to relieve your stress and help you get to a place that you can call home permanently. It hurts them to see people in such dire straits and they will do anything in their power to help them. The only thing you need to do is to allow these people to help you up. They may provide more than just shelter they may also provide clarity in your situation through past experience.

Know that no one is trying to change you or save you they just see a problem and want to help out in any way possible. For them to not be able to help you is a failure on their part and they view it as such. You may not understand this kind of thinking and it may seem straight out foreign to you. Just realize there is help waiting for you in the churches of your community. All you need to do is go to a church and find a member and ask for help. They may not know what to do, but they can show you to someone that can help you out. Churches can’t make the first step for you, you have to find it within yourself to ask for a hand up and some love.

Filed Under: Homeless Tagged With: ,

Supporting Virginia “Supportive Housing”

Anyone who’s lived in a major city can most likely tell a person what’s it like to walk by a homeless person sitting on the sidewalk in the rain or snow. Once more alarming is that many people who have never lived or so much as stepped foot in a major city can explain what that feeling feels like. As the gap between lower class and the upper class continually becomes larger and larger more homeless citizens are taking to the streets. The effects of the sub-prime mortgage fiasco on the middle class citizen have pushed the government into creating and expanding more programs for tax payers.

However, if a person has not been able to work or pay taxes these incentives and programs the government created to help the working class are not felt by the homeless. As the numbers of homeless and those who are losing their homes increases their are certain agencies and people who are doing there part to lend a helping hand and support those who need it.

In Virginia the Supportive Housing coalition has been helping to feed, clothe, and put a roof over the head of the homeless and those affected by the economy. Here are just a few volunteer opportunities they provide.

Three Volunteer Opportunities Of The Virginia Supportive Housing Organization

1. Administrative and Agency Support- Working at the VSH headquarters doing clerical work and office duties.

2. Client- Work with the clients of VSH to promote connections and spread the overall message VSH.

3. Property Maintenance and Beautification- Working outside at sites, doing grounds work and keeping up the overall aesthetic of the VSH grounds.

Whether working in the office or keeping the grounds, volunteering opportunities at the VSH are important because they provide services to the homeless that other organizations don’t provide and it’s a great way to help homeless persons regain control of their life.

Filed Under: Homeless Tagged With: , ,