Different Ways To Support People Experiencing Homelessness

People around the world struggle to support themselves due to difficult physical, mental, and environmental conditions. If you have had the privilege of having reliable shelter all your life, you may be unfamiliar with the hardships that people experiencing homelessness face. Fortunately, there are various ways you can support people struggling within your community.

Donate Items To Shelters in Need

Perhaps the most popular of the different ways to support people experiencing homelessness is donating clothing.

Items that Can Be Donated as Gently Used

You can peruse your home for gently-worn items such as the following:

Clothing

Bring an abundant collection of old sweaters, shirts, and pants to your nearest shelter. If local shelters are not accepting donations at the moment, you can bring your clothing to a secondhand shop.

Winter Accessories

The winter season is especially harsh on people experiencing homelessness. Find a location that accepts winter accessories such as hats, gloves, scarves, and any other warm clothing.

Shoes

If you have the luxury of spoiling yourself with a fresh pair of kicks every year, consider donating your neglected pairs to charities. Having durable footwear is critical to individuals experiencing homelessness, curtailing some adverse health conditions.

Items that Typically Must Be New To Donate

The following materials should be unused and unopen to get accepted from shelters.

Dental

  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste
  • Floss
  • Mouthwash

Menstrual

  • Tampons
  • Pads (reusable and disposable)

Socks and Undergarments

  • Thick and regular socks
  • Unworn underwear in styles for men, women, and children
  • Bras

Toiletries

  • Deodorant
  • Toilet paper
  • Baby wipes and diapers
  • Combs and hairbrushes
  • Shaving cream and razors
  • Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash

2moda offers hygiene and wholesale makeup tools to make self-maintenance possible for individuals struggling to find secure housing. Hygiene and self-care are exponential to fostering confidence and good health.

Educate Yourself on Causes of Homelessness

One of the different ways to support people experiencing homelessness is to change your perspective. Educate yourself on homelessness issues instead of rationalizing stereotypes. Combat stigmas that further disenfranchise people experiencing homelessness with knowledge.

Common Falsehoods About Homelessness

That People Choose To Be Homeless

There are several reasons as to why someone may experience homelessness. Costly medical conditions, gentrification, domestic abuse, and plenty of other factors can displace a person or family.

That Government Housing Would Strain Annual Budgets

Some folks stress about the financial implications of increasing government housing and believe that it would strain the rest of national annual budget. However, a minimal percentage of the budget is currently dedicated to assisting low-income families and individuals attain necessities.

Much of the money spent on services that interact with people experiencing homelessness, such as law enforcement, hospitals, and jails, could be minimized by government housing—which would come at a fraction of the cost of those public services.

That People Experiencing Homelessness are Jobless

Some folks are quick to pin homelessness as a result of unemployment. Though unemployment can certainly contribute to unfavorable financial scenarios, the notion that people experiencing homelessness don’t have jobs perpetuates the stereotype that they are lazy or unmotivated.

Tons of individuals experiencing homelessness have a job, the role not providing pay for a comfortable lifestyle. Medical bills, food, routine cost of temporary housing, and other expenses make it difficult for people to save toward a permanent abode.

Different Kinds of Shelters

With the stigmas surrounding homelessness, it is easy to generalize the people who it affects. However, people experiencing homelessness should be recognized as the unique individuals they are. In fact, just look at diversity of shelter options available. You’ll see that people struggle to secure consistent housing for a variety of reasons, not just the ones harshly depicted in media.

Domestic Violence or Women’s Shelters

Domestic violence shelters are often also labeled as women’s shelters and vice versa. This is because of the presence of at-home violence for women ages 18 to 34. Women experiencing abuse from a partner or family member can seek refuge at one of these shelters.

It’s common for children to be brought alongside women seeking shelter at these facilities. For that reason, domestic violence and women’s shelters commonly provide counseling, education, and other resources that serve both women and children.

Family Shelters

These shelters are like women’s shelters in that their demographic is largely women and children. However, family shelters are unique because they allow men to stay as well. This difference allows whole families that do not have secure housing to remain sheltered together.

Youth Shelters

As their label indicates, youth shelters house individuals under the age of 18. Youth shelters promote education and self-sufficiency so that young adults lacking resources can develop a foundation for a successful future.

Transitional Housing

Transitional housing is fundamental to uplifting folks from circumstances that leave them homeless. Individuals can experience privacy and comfort of having their own housing, albeit temporary. With job assistance, counseling, and other substantial resources, transitional housing is setup to see people prosper.

Emergency Shelters

Emergency shelters typically serve those who have lost their home unexpectedly due to natural disasters. They also provide shelter to those who are in unsafe living conditions at home. This type of temporary housing is unique for its duality as a day shelter, that lets individuals remain out of harm’s way during the day, too.

Raise Awareness To Combat Stigmas

Do you voraciously scroll through social media for self-care, fashion, home décor, and other lifestyle inspirations? Enhance the way you partake in social media by utilizing your platform as a tool to raise awareness, too. Different ways you can spread awareness on factors that affect people experiencing homelessness include:

  • Reposting information from organizations that specialize in relieving homelessness
  • Share credible graphics with relevant and accurate statistics
  • Following organizations’ and shelters’ social media to stay up-to-date on volunteer opportunities and most needed items

Volunteer with Organizations that Support People Experiencing Homelessness

Whether you can or can’t donate money to charitable organizations that support people experiencing homelessness, volunteered time is always appreciated. Help organizations assemble care packages, finish administrative work, and tend to other tasks that enable smooth operations.

Start Today!

Navigate around 2moda’s website for bulk products to donate to places that support folks experiencing homelessness today. At 2moda, we’re proud to provide products at a wholesale price, so you can make an impactful contribution to uplift members in your community.

 

Different Ways To Support People Experiencing Homelessness

Charity and donations