This post contains 10 Things you SHOULD DO when serving the poor and the homeless, and 10 Things you SHOULD NOT do.
As there are different things you should or should not do for homeless people versus those who have a home but are poor, some of the items on the list begin with the words “Homeless” or “Poor” for things that are specific to those groups of people.
10 Things to Do for the Poor and Homeless
- Get to know the poor and homeless. Spend time with them. Ask them their names, and remember them. Tell them yours. Shake their hands. Be open and friendly. Touch them. Hug those who want hugged. Allow them to tell their stories. Listen. Remember.
- The poor and homeless are our equals. Honor them, respect them and treat them as our brothers and sisters. Feel honored that they are willing to share their lives with you and that you have the opportunity to spend time with them.
- Find out from them what they most need. Your presence, your touch, your love, may be at the top of the list. If you’re giving them “stuff”, personally hand it out. Remember – You’re “sharing”, be it your time or your stuff.
- Homeless: Check with your town or city to make sure they do not have an ordinance against distributing food on the street.
- Homeless: If you distribute food, small items that can be held in the hand and that don’t need plates, silverware, ovens or refrigerators work best. If you plan to give out cooked food, make sure hot food (soup, burritos, pizza, etc.) is kept hot until you hand it out, and that cold food (meat sandwiches, etc.) is kept cold until you hand it out.
- Homeless: Give them new socks and underwear. Bag them individually in Ziplock bags, marked with the size. The highest quality socks and underwear are usually not necessary. When socks and underwear get really dirty they may be thrown out by those who don’t have access to a laundromat.
- Homeless: Give hotel size, single use toiletries – soap, lotion, shampoo, razors (bag one or two disposable razors in Ziploc snack size bags) and so on. Find toothbrushes that have covers. 16 oz. bottles of shampoo or lotion often end up in the garbage (They’re too heavy to carry.) You can buy single use items in bulk from hotel supply companies for a few pennies each.
- Homeless: Many of them have significant dental problems and cannot eat items that require a mouth filled with good teeth, such as apples. They can usually handle bananas, tangerines and oranges.
- Poor and homeless: Give them clean clothes, blankets, and similar items that are in good condition. Launder and fold them and label them with sizes. Dirty clothes and blankets usually end up in a dumpster.
- Homeless: Always take bottles of water, regardless of the time of year. Dehydration is a common problem among the homeless.
10 Things Not To Do for the Poor and Homeless
- Homeless: Never give them money. If they tell you they need it to buy a specific item, buy the item for them.
- Homeless: Never tell them your address or take them to your home. If you doubt the wisdom of this, let’s communicate privately.
- Homeless: Don’t go alone. Don’t go in large groups. Groups of three to five work best. Don’t go after dark. Mid morning to mid afternoon works best.
- Homeless: Don’t take your wallet or purse or wear expensive jewelry or clothing.
- Homeless: Don’t give them new clothing, with a few exceptions – socks, underwear, and possibly shoes. Why? – Three reasons:
- Expensive new jackets, hoodies, shoes and similar items may endanger them in areas with high populations of street people, where it is likely they’ll be mugged (and possibly beaten) and lose that new coat you gave them.
- They frequently sell those items to raise cash to fund their habits. We go the day after Christmas, and they try to sell us brand new coats, shoes, blankets and similar items. Swap meet dealers in vans also patrol the homeless during the holidays, offering to pay cash for new items.
- Many do not have access to laundromats. When the sweatshirt you gave them gets filthy, if they can lay their hands on another one, they’ll throw the filthy one in the trash, whether it’s the $1 one you bought at a garage sale or the $30 one you purchased at the department store.
- Poor and homeless, but especially the homeless: Do not clean out your attic or closets, bag up the stuff and drop it off on a street corner in the homeless area. Most or all of it will end up in a dumpster. They do not need gold four-inch heels, bell-bottom pants from the 70’s and broken blenders. If it’s usable, donate it to the thrift shop. Otherwise, throw it in the trash!
- Homeless: Do not drop off cases of bakery products, such as loaves of bread, packages of rolls, whole cakes and pies, packages of frozen dough, unbaked pizzas, and so on. Most of this will end up in the garbage.
- Try to avoid giving out “packets” of items, such as a toothbrush, lotion, apple, socks and soap, unless you tell them what is in the packet and ask them which of those items they need. Otherwise, they sort through the packet after you’ve left and throw away the items they don’t want.
- Avoid giving out major items at Christmas, especially to the homeless. Visit them at Christmas, take along water, tangerines, little bags of crackers, hotel size shampoos and that type of thing. In most urban areas, many of the people who are on the street on the weekend before Christmas and on Christmas day are not homeless. They only pretend to be homeless and are on the street to get free blankets, sleeping bags, coats and similar items which they plan to sell at the swap meet. Hand out the sleeping bags and similar items at least a week on either side of Christmas, when the real homeless people will get them.
- Avoid giving out large quantities of candy. Many poor and homeless cannot afford dentists and have bad teeth. Also, people who work with drug addicts have advised us against giving out candy. Apparently some addicts will live on drugs and candy if possible.
These are not exhaustive lists. Of course, some of these things may not apply where you live. If you have one homeless guy in your small town who sleeps on the city square, you would probably notice if several other people sat with him on Christmas day, pretending to be homeless so they can receive new blankets and sleeping bags.
We would love to hear additional ideas or questions in the Comments section from those of you who also come alongside your poor and homeless friends.
Jeremy, this was excellent & informative. I’ll be prepared when I minister to them and NOT bring my Tailor guitar!
Ha! Yeah. But an old beater guitar might be good, and you could play for them or with them! Many of them might like that.
Yes, jeremy, a beat up guitar. I’ll have to depend on my voice. Thanks again for your very thought provoking blogs! I’m enjoying them
What hotel supply company do you shop from?
Can’t wait to help!
They have a location here in southern California where we can pick up supplies. Since most of the items are heavy in bulk, shipping may be expensive if you need to have your order shipped. If you live in or near a large city, use your search engine to search for a local supplier where you can pick up the supplies. (Search under hotel soaps and amenities) Here’s a link to the place we go:
http://www.nathosp.com/prod_detail_list/hotel_soaps_and_amenities
As an alternative, if you know a local hotel or motel manager, they might be willing to include your order with theirs and charge you their cost. Explain that you plan to give the supplies to the homeless.
Hey 🙂 I read in the comments that you guys are in San Diego. I am too. I was wondering if you could suggest any good organizations that help the homeless and things along those lines? Thanks!
Destiny, yes we are in San Diego. There are many organizations here that help the homeless. Do you have ideas about how you want to help? Do you want to donate money, time or items? Do you want to spend time with the homeless, get to know them, serve food, help sort and distribute clothing, or what would you like to do? If you would like some general answers, we can do that here. If you want more specific answers, we can contact you directly at your e-mail if you give Jeremy permission to share that with us.
Thank you for this information! I have been wondering how to help. I always feel so sad when I walk by them and I want to do something but don’t know what to do. I have handed out gift cards for subway but that gets really expensive and I can only help a few plus they might sell them.
If you need more ideas, such as specific items most of the homeless need, let us know. We try to avoid gift cards, since those frequently get converted to cash which is used to buy whatever it is the person is addicted to.
Thanks for doing what you can. The first step in helping them is to notice them.
Some hotels are willing to put their toiletries, that have gotten wet or damaged, aside for a group. The paper on soaps may get wet but the soap inside is dry, just not pretty on display for a paying guest. Be faithful to communicate and pick up the donations though. Most don’t want the boxes sitting around taking up space in their supply rooms.
Educate yourself on programs, that support the homeless, already in place in your community. Volunteer and donate to help them survive and thrive!
Hi! I have founded a homeless help movement and have been doing give outs for some time now. I was wondering about your DON’TS # 2 and 3, would you kindly be able to elaborate on those please?
Please feel free to contact me privately (preferred, really).
Many thanks in advance.
This is a great article, practical and relevant. Our church ministers to the homeless, and most if not all of these principles are part of our strategy too. Well done, bro 🙂
Thank you. As I noted in my response to J below, conditions vary by locale, and you may need to do some things differently where you live.
We’ve had local people get very upset with us for advising not to give money to the “homeless”. When they tell us they always give something to the guy on the corner (at such and such a location) and we tell them that guy is not homeless, but drives a new BMW when his shift on the corner is over, they see the need to rethink their cash handouts. The really bad thing about what they’re doing is that it takes resources away from those who really need them, the real homeless people, and gives cash to a guy who is pulling down $60K annually by posing as homeless.
The best way we have found to avoid helping the wrong people is to get out on the street and meet the homeless. Spend some time with them. Get to know them. Then you will know who is really homeless and what they really need.
Hi Jeremy,
I do not know where you are based, but I found that this post is not applicable in the area in which I live. I live in Australia & have been working with homeless people for quite a while now. Half the things you mentioned on your post are irrelevant in our case as most people we have come across have needed the stuff that you mentioned not to give out but I guess it’s a different situation everywhere.
Thank you for sharing your post though.
Keep doing God’s work.
With love,
J, Melbourne, Australia.
These comments are based on the homeless situation in large cities in Southern California. If you have been working with the homeless for many years in Australia and the situation is different there, then you know what works best there.
For example, here new coats and blankets at Christmas rarely get used by the people who receive them, but are sold to swap meet dealers. We see it happening and the homeless themselves tell us that is what often happens. Many of the “homeless” on the street the weekend before Christmas (the homeless have told us it is one third to one half of the “homeless” present) are not homeless, but people who dress up as homeless to get the free items.
Many of the panhandlers (people asking for money) are not homeless. They are professional beggars who pose as homeless.
Many of the ideas in these posts work well in the urban areas of North America (Canada, USA, and Mexico). I do not know about other continents or countries. Just keep learning to love, and you will discover needs.
Why is bread a bad thing to give them? What are some things I can cook that are cheap and easy and would actually be ate?
Bread works fine in small amounts. Cases or large bags, large loaves, unbaked pizzas and similar items, however, don’t work because they can’t eat most (or any) of it before it dries up or molds.
Hard-boiled and peeled eggs are an excellent source of protein and most people like them. Some like pb&j sandwiches, but ham and cheese (buy the loaves of ham & slice them, 5 pound blocks of sliced cheese, add a little mayo and put in large hamburger buns, then in sandwich baggies) is more popular.
I disagree with the advice of never giving them money. A lot of people in the street do not automatically have problems with alcohol or other addictions and are smart enough to spend their money wisely. There are many other reasons for becoming homeless than addictions. Giving them money will allow them to buy the things they need when they need them, without having to carry them around all the time until they need them. Plus, buying things is more time taking while giving money is quick and easy because we almost always already have money with us. By trying not to give money we might end up giving nothing at all. I think it is not realistic to think that homeless people are going to get food every day from people just when they are hungry. Directly giving the stuff they need might be better in many cases, but trying to never give money also sounds to me like a kind of parenting and denying their sense of responsibility.
Thank you for this article though, and for the good advice.
These suggestions are general guidelines. If you know the person you’re giving the money to, and know that they’re using it to buy food and other necessary items, ignore that advice. We know hundreds, probably close to one thousand homeless individuals. Not all of them are addicts or alcoholics, but so many of them are that we make a general rule to never give money. Drugs are a huge problem here, and we have no desire to help people destroy their lives by helping them fund their purchases of crystal, crack, and similar substances.
We also have a big problem with panhandlers who appear to be homeless, but aren’t. Some of them drive nice cars and live in nice homes, and pull down $60K and more from their “day job”, which is dressing up like they’re homeless and standing on busy street corners asking for money. Our city is attempting to crack down on these people, but some of them seem to persist in spite of efforts to document what they’re doing. We know who some of these people are and have personally seen them walk to their cars at the end of their “shift”, peel off their ragged clothes, throw them in the trunk, and drive off in their almost new BMWs.
The key is to spend time with the homeless. Get to know them so in most cases you will know who is really homeless, who needs money to buy food, and who needs money for drugs or for payments on their new BMW. If you don’t have time to spend with the homeless themselves, and wish to donate money, if you have local organizations that provide food, toiletries, clothing and even shelter to the homeless, give them the money to buy those need items for the homeless and you can be reasonably certain your money is actually helping the homeless.
Thank you for your post. I couldnt agree more. Most are homeless for a reason other than addiction. They have not chosen this road less traveled. There was no other road.
I found this article to be extremely helpful. We are doing a homeless project this year. Our previous efforts were aimed at a local nursing home. So, I’m completely new to this! However, fortunately our area (south Alabama) doesn’t have a large homeless population. I’ve actually only seen one homeless person in our town. Our donations will be going to Mobile, AL which is the largest city near us. We are working with two groups this year. One provides transitional housing to homeless veterans. The other is a homeless shelter. Since CA has more people in one city than we have in our entire state, I trust your advice! I’ll be bookmarking your page!
Thank you Hayden. The do and do not’s lists above are general, especially some of the do not’s. That information is designed to keep people who are new to mingling with the homeless and who do not know them well from becoming disillusioned very quickly. Also, some of the advice is intended to keep you safe. For example, we are aware of college students who go to the most dangerous homeless areas (mostly populated by severely addicted individuals) late at night. The homeless themselves tell us the students should not be in those areas, especially late at night.
If you have only one homeless person in your town, get to know that person. You may discover there are more homeless people in your town than you think. If you partner with the homeless shelter in Mobile, visit them. Have lunch with the homeless. Talk to them. Learn their names. Build relationships with them. In doing these things you will probably better know how to help them.
I want to start helping? I have read your dos and donts which is a start.
I want to start simply, quietly getting on with what needs to be done.
How did you start? What would you suggest?
I could simply help a couple but I feel bad I’m not able to reach out to others too.
Katrina, Go to the “Search” box at the bottom of the front page on this blog and enter the word “homeless” and you’ll find lots of posts about the homeless. Read them, and if you have questions let Jeremy know that it is o.k. for him to give me your e-mail, or ask him to give you mine. The posts are written with large urban areas in mind. You may live in a small town or an area that doesn’t seem to have many homeless. The homeless are a very diverse population, so the posts address only a segment of that population and are therefore somewhat general. Most of the “advice” is intended to help people new to helping the homeless have a good experience and avoid bad experiences. The areas where we go have a very high proportion of drug and alcohol dependent and mentally ill people and the highest crime rate in this large city. Where you live may be much different.
Thank you for this article.
I want so badly to bring home a person or a family that are homeless.. allow them a hot shower, some homey comforts and nice meal, good conversation and mostly giving them a feeling of being loved and cared for and human. Taking them shoping for a warm comfortable outfit and other needs.
But the thing that stops me is that I just cant imagine after doing this, dropping them back off where I found them. while I go home to my cozy life.
What a horrible thing to do., I feel like it would be worse for someone to feel this for just a day.
I find it really sad , that I allow this to hold me back from helping someone to feel loved.
I struggle with this thought daily as I do not have the means or the space to house someone or I would help one at a time get back a life for them self. I just wish I could follow through with this and not have to face the guilt I feel just thinking about dropping them back off where I found them.
Jody, Thank you for having a heart for the homeless. On the face of it, the advice in the post that says don’t tell the homeless your address or take them to your home may seem heartless. That advice is based on the years I worked in law enforcement. We advised everyone to never tell anyone their address or take anyone to their home unless they know the person extremely well.
There are options. You might take the person or family to a restaurant like Denny’s or whatever you can afford for a nice meal. Find out exactly what clothing items they need and buy them some of those items. Unless you know they wash their clothes (many throw out the clothes when they get dirty), buy clothes in decent condition in a thrift store. For the cost of a new item, you can usually get multiples of the same item in a thrift store.
Depending on where you live, some towns and cities have portable showers or other locations where the homeless can shower. Many of those groups need help paying for the showers, and people to volunteer to work at the showers when they’re open. There are also organizations in most areas that help people find housing. Many of those organizations also need funds and volunteers.
If you would like to discuss this by e-mail, reply to this comment and say that you give Jeremy permission to give me your e-mail address, and we’ll talk that way. I may know some of the organizations that work with the homeless in your city, or know someone who does. Most places have numerous ways in which you can help multiple homeless people.
Hi Jody thats really nice of you but remember they are people not pets. I saw a show where some lady was dressing up a chimpanzee or some kind of monkey and it was living in the house like a person. Something went wrong with it maybe because it was sick in body or mind for a while and it went crazy. It found a gun they had and was waving it around and the chimp was ultimately put down. The woman was going on about how she loves the animal and didnt want to harm it but she forgot the nature of what she was dealing with. Homeless are humans but they are humans in a certain state of mind and ultimately they are also just human beings who have their own personal issues and selfishness. Going too far will disappoint you in the end. You can make a big difference by doing what this article recommends. You dont have to save the world or even save one homeless person to save lives. What it really takes is what this article says which is be consistent and regular in your help. That all adds up and spreads from person to person.
Thank you for the helpful information – I was planning on making care bags and was looking to see what I should put in them. your post opened my eyes to the problem with that (throwing away what they don’t want. I will still make some bags with water, granola bars and a couple dollars but the rest of the stuff I will just keep in a box and ask them what they need. I am not planning on going to deliver them but to hand them out to the people looking for money at street corners.
If you live in a small town and know that the people on the street corners are really homeless, your plan should work. If you live in a larger town or city, you may want to contact some of your local homeless service agencies and ask if the people you see on the corners are really homeless or are professional panhandlers. Where we live, many of the panhandlers are not homeless, but are professionals. There is even a “school” that teaches how to do this. They have working days and hours and live in decent houses, drive nice cars, wear nice clothes and more. The professionals want cash, not socks, granola bars, toothbrushes and things like that. Thank you for caring for the homeless where you live.
Someone gave a broken blender? Thats as bad as when I learned that pharmaceutical companies get rid of overstock diuretics to starving countries to get a write off.
Super duper article and great tips. I disagree with two things.
1. I think its a bad idea to hug the homeless and things like that because of germs and disease. Its not their fault and I dont want to make them feel bad but its reality. I know you can get the same kinds of disease from public but its the same as a public gym shower. You can get germs in using it and I use them but I wouldnt shower barefoot without slippers.
2. I dont think its wrong to give cash money and it depends on the situation. Giving cash money is allowing them to exercise freedom of choice and not be a like a child who gets socks on their birthday. So its about dignity but I understand cash can be bad if you give over $5 or $10. I think you just have to judge the situation because a lot of homeless need money to save up and buy a bus pass or something. Sure you can buy it for them but I am not able to shell out $100 for one but I can give $5. If you say they are adults and our equals then they can make their own choices with the money.
We don’t routinely hug every homeless person, only those who want hugged. We wash our hands before eating or touching our face, just like we do whenever we touch anyone. We almost never get sick, and I doubt we’ve ever picked up any illness from the homeless in all the years we’ve been with them. Do what you’re comfortable with, be it shake hands if they offer a hand, or whatever works for you.
The money thing is a difficult topic. Due to our proximity to Mexico, we have a huge meth problem here on the streets. There’s also cocaine, heroin and more. We know many, many addicts and alcoholics. We never give money because we know most of it is used to buy drugs and alcohol, which does not help these folks in any way. Many of our panhandlers are not homeless, destitute or even poor. They’re what might be called professional beggars who have homes, cars, food, nice clothes and so on. Their unshaven faces and ratty clothes are their work outfits/costumes.
If you know someone is really homeless and not using the money to fund their addictions (I assume you don’t want to help an addict pay for their drugs), use your personal discretion in giving cash.
i do not like this website because there is harsh pictures like the one of the man in the cardboard box
Uh… okay. Imagine what it must be like to live in one of those boxes.
Something I’ve discovered there’s a real need for in winter weather is #1 men’s warm socks, #2 thermal blankets that fold so thin you can carry them in your pocket, I order them from a site called emergency essentials.com Pretty economical, I order about 10 at a time for $21. #3 men’s & women’s winter hats/ beanies, usually Walmart has a decent price, and #4 disposable 8 hr. hand warmers. Just a few ideas. I also like to put together treat bags for homeless kids. I put a little candy, maybe a homemade bracelet, little trinkets, stickers & Always a tract made for children. These Precious little ones don’t get many things that they get to keep for just themselves! Thank You for Your Ministry as well. If We ALL just give a little in JESUS Name, We can Help Advance His Kingdom MAJORLY!! May You be Abundantly Blessed to be a Blessing to Countless others!!
Those are all great ideas, Tisha. We give out similar things, except for the hand warmers, which usually aren’t needed here in San Diego. We get socks, blankets, scarves, hats and more from excess merchandise that didn’t sell at thrift stores. If you have thrift stores in your area, talk to the store manager (not just who is in charge when you go in), explain what you do and ask what they do with the items that don’t sell. Some sell it to rag processors, but might be willing to sell it or give it to you at a very reduced price or free if they know it is being given to the homeless. If you do this through a church or other organization, mention that so they will know they can check with the organization to make sure you are really giving the stuff to the homeless.
just read your lists and agree with most of what you wrote about do’s and don’t for the homeless. But telling people not to give money is not consistent with my experience (I moved into the hood and brought them into my house – that started a ministry to the poor). I suggest you don’t give them a lot of money but you don’t deny them the one resource you cannot live without yourself. Have respect for them, direct them to help, and HELP THEM as you can! Give them a few dollars and suggest they get something good to eat. And let them know God loves them and has a plan for their life … they just have to cry out to Him when they are ready.
These are general suggestions. If you know someone really well and know they are using the money to buy food or similar things, then you should do what you think best.
We’ve worked with the homeless for many years, and know that many do not use the money to buy needs items. Many of the people we work with are addicts. The ones who are not tell us that the addicts use all or almost all the money they can lay their hands on for drugs. We hear the same addicts asking people over and over for money for food, bus fare, to make a phone call, and so on.
These same people have cell phones, won’t leave their tent and pile of stuff because it won’t be there when they return from a bus ride, and live off the food they are given by the “drive-bys”, the people who give them food.
This is not the case for all the homeless, so be sure you really know who you are giving the money to, and that they are buying food and not supporting the drug cartels with your money.
Thank you for this article. I have always had a heart for the homeless. For years I have talked about doing something but never have. This weekend a friend and I decided we are going to do something. We had planned on handing out bags of items and lunch bags but after reading this I think we will bring the items with us and find out what each individual needs. I am not sure where to go to find the needy but I plan on contacting the homeless shelters to get more info. I live outside of Tulsa and am not aware of a problem in my town but I know there is need in Tulsa so that is where I will be going until God shows me a need closer to home.
From a social worker – first step is not to identify them as “homeless people”. They should be referred to as a person who is homeless. Same goes for mental illness.
They are people first.