Holiday Guide to Helping the Homeless

It's the holiday season. Which means phones at shelters and service organizations are ringing off the hook. Seems like everyone wants to volunteer, donate supplies, or somehow 'help the homeless' once the end of the year rolls around. Shelters are certainly happy to have the help, but what about the rest of the year? 

What about February, when the holiday rush of donations slows to a trickle, yet the demand for supplies, volunteers, and money is still as strong as ever? What about the summer months, when homeless children are out of school and looking for entertainment to escape from their cramped living arrangements? 

If the holiday season has you feeling charitable this year, here is a simple holiday guide that isn't about the holidays at all. It's about how you can harness your good tidings now to think about making an impact throughout the entire year:

1. Look beyond the holidays.

Do something now: buy new toys for homeless children, bake for a shelter, organize a can drive, or donate personal care items and household goods. But then (wait for it) commit to doing another project to serve your local homeless organization in the spring. Make a multi-month commitment. Shelters have needs all year long and your help could be even more valuable once the holiday decorations are boxed in the attic.

2. Think Non-Material.

Why do we always think of gifts as things that can be wrapped in paper? The desire to give a material gift to a homeless person to make their day is great. But don't forget: the best things in life aren't things. If you want to give something really valuable to a homeless person, consider something non-material. Something as simple as eye contact and a hello can make a big difference. Or a random act of kindness. Or how about your time? Tutoring, volunteering, fundraising, teaching a skill, or being a mentor can make a huge difference.

3. Forget "us" versus "them." Remember that we're all people. 

Thanks to Mike at SLO Homeless for this one:

I think it's admirable that during the holiday season we want to provide the homeless with material gifts; that we want to do something "nice" for them. We should be willing to provide the homeless with the most basic needs: food, clothing and shelter. After all, it is the right thing to do.

However, it seems to me that one of the best gifts we could give to our homeless would be to acknowledge them as people - not only during the holidays, but throughout the rest of the year.

If you have a suggestion for helping the homeless in a way that goes beyond the holiday season, I want to hear it (who knows... I might even add it to the list!).