What can be done to help people who are homeless?

Answer 1

I read some statistics that said that most homeless people are suffering from mental illness. Years ago there were state funded mental hospitals, that keep them off the streets. After the public realized how people were abused and treated they called for reform of our state hospitals. They were shut down. Until our society decides that mental illness is a disease that needs to be treated and not ignored then we will continue to see the homeless on our streets. Mental illness is a progressive disease that can be controlled not cured. E-mail your senator. Get involved. Things can change. And pray for them and our society.

Answer 2

When you say 'the homeless' are you talking about the countless drug users who are considered homeless? Are you talking about people who have fallen on extremely hard times, and are willing to work to have a better quality of life? The ones who are not on drugs, are willing to work, I hire in my business. I can't hire them all, of course. I can only hope that others will do their part to help, as well. I have found that people who have fallen on hard, hard times, are really excellent workers when given the chance! I look at my rural community, and think: What about all those homes that the govt paid for, in order to house the people of Louisiana......only to decide later that these homes were not good enough to use for homes. Good Grief! For a homeless family in our area, these would have been tremendous! I still wonder what the govt ended up doing with these 'not up to par for the govt.' homes. It was shelter from the cold, a place to clean up, a place to warm/cook food! You cannot be on the street, and expected to show up for work clean and having had a great night's sleep! Most shelters that are set up are very scary places for children and women, especially, I have been told by people who have tried to seek shelter in the mass shelters. I know that I cannot help anyone who is on drugs, and not planning to get off drugs. I've learned that in a very hard lesson. I will continue to try to help the community of people who are trying very hard to get back into a stable life.

Answer 3

so many wonderful answers in here. where i live there is a group building a community to get homeless people off the street and find out what they need, weather it's a lift back to employment, trying to get papers they lost like ID's , SSN and such, even birth certificates can help bring them back to the work place. reeducation and literacy teaching, clothing, food, a safe place to get clean weather shower or drug rehab direction or just a councilor to speak to. even have a spot location to receive mail or SSI checks, in some cases someone to look over documents sent that they may not understand or know how or what the letter is asking. safe lockers for property. we need more social services that looks at more than the surface of what the problem is and the look at the underlining reasons behind it. i know there are homeless who only want drugs and alcohol and they want money for food still. i have seen men watch their wives beg on corners when both looked healthy to work. one couple did it 3 years in a row. its not only the ones who are hard up hurt, without a home. its men and women once in jail that have trouble finding work because of their records. there are ways to help and people who do it. the problem is them excepting that help, they may want it, but their pride holds them back. there independence and freedom they think is good is confusing and hard to admit. its a matter of finding those people that can get together to work on these direction. when only 1 knows what to do its hard, but when many can help in many direction, but in one place that can make a difference.

Answer 4

We had a ice storm that knocked trees into power lines, so I sent the puget power(power co.) a email to help rectify the problem. Now if the power co.s would hire the homeless so that the professionals could continue their work, then the homeless would have a pay check and the power lines would be protected. But no thanks from power co.

Answer 5

Not much, since many of them do not want to help themselves. You can try to direct them to shelters, but some shelters require the residents to (gasp!) do some degree of work there, for example, making up their own cot, picking up after themselves, etc. So a lot of homeless people will not go to them.

Answer 6

as u see them u can help them by giving them FOOD. not money because some are junkies and will take ur blessings for them in vein. give them clothes instead of throwing them out. show them love. i think one of the best things to give to a homeless person besides all of the above is a cart with wheels, because they tend to carry their belongings on their backs making their jouneys hard for them. because they don't know where the next place will be to lay their heads at night so they carry what they have if they have anything at all.

Answer 7

I think the best way to help them out, even though it's only a short-term helping, would be to buy them food and clothes, rather than just giving money because then it might go to the wrong thing.

But helping out with food and water and stuff would probably mean a lot to them

Answer 8

support & volunteer at your local homeless shelter-- many churches band together in our area to provide temporary shelter, food, etc. to help the homeless

Answer 9

well firstly give a lil change if u have some when they ak...or even more than change...volunteer your time at homeless shelters......if you know of a job...refer them to a job...if they r not at a shelter refer them 2 a shelter

Answer 10

Give them a home