3 Unique Ways to Help the Homeless

3 Unique Ways to Help the Homeless

Homelessness is on the rise in the United States today, and more individuals, as well as families, are sleeping rough in every section of the country. According to EndHomelessness.org, 549,928 people were homeless on a given night in January of 2016. Even more eye opening, 194,716 of those people were members of families.

Many people want to do something to combat this increasing epidemic, but often-time lack the ideas and the resources to contribute to something sustainable for the homeless.

Here are 3 unique ways you can be helping the homeless:

1. Tiny Home Living

Many construction artists and volunteers around the country today are taking trips to local landfills and using the debris and garbage to build tiny, compact homes for the homeless. You don’t have to be a construction expert to work together with local community members for constructing a tiny, sound home that’ll give the homeless a warm roof over their heads.

-          Take a communal trip to the waste or landfill center in your community

-          Collect sound materials and leftover wood (there’s a lot)

-          Designate communal spaces in town where the homes can be left safely

-          Begin the construction! Contact a local construction company for volunteer oversight.

2. Use Your Profession

You’d be surprised what your place of employment can contribute to the homeless. Depending on what you do, work hard to spread awareness at your workplace. Examples of donations from workplaces include:

-          Books from the library

-          Food donations at the end of restaurant hours

-          Bread donations from the morning bakery batches

-          Host a “suit” drive if you work at a corporate location. Donate the suits to the homeless so they have a chance to interview.

3. Pop Up Stores

Some individuals today are creating pop-up clothing stores, making it easy for local community members to drop-off old clothing. The host of the stores then work their magic to clean, hang, and present the clothing in a way that makes the homeless feel like they’re actually shopping.

-          Be creative in creating the store. Anything from wood to cardboard will do.

-          Pick a central communal location

-          Advertise with local community groups about the pop-up

-          Host it for multiple days so the homeless can come

The list goes on! There’s something everyone can do to help the American homeless.