Ideas for Helping the Homeless & Needy

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Noske

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When I eventually go through the RCIA, get baptized, and become part of the church, I want to set up a group of people that would help with making items for the poor and homeless, whether it be making blankets, or soup, or whatever else they need.

What I need though, are some cost-effective ideas that are simple enough for everyone to help with. I’m going to make a list of these ideas to post on my Live Journal to refer to later when I get the chance to set up such a group.

So far, what I have is the following.

Soup - My mother makes EXCELLENT chicken and corn soup.
Clothes - Knitted socks, gloves, beanies, etc. MAde by hand. Not just bought or donated.
Blankets - A square? I can handle that, even with my limited sewing ability.
Stuffed toys - For the kiddies.
Candy - I made awesome honeycomb. This might be good to sell and raise money for supplies
Bottles of water - Better than drinking out of a puddle, I imagine.
Canned food - Mmm. Beans.

Feel free to add to the list. And it doesn’t have to be just for the homeless and needy. It could encompass the elderly and the sick as well. But the main focus would of course be on the people that REALLY need some help.

This list will not only benefit me, but others on the site who are looking for ideas as well.
 
don’t wait, start now
your parish probably already has a ministry to the poor of the parish, St. Vincent de Paul or other, and would welcome your energy and leadership, and you could start this new initiative under their umbrella.

DD has a group that makes quilts, which fold up into an attached sack to make a pillow, these are given to homeless shelters and to the police and CPS (in child sizes) so when a child is picked up and taken to foster care they are given a pillow quilt. the ones for small children have a stuffed animal, made of the same fabric, tucked in and attached by velcro.

her Brownie troop makes snack bags for the homeless, which are distributed by a group that serves soup and sandwiches on the weekends, when shelters are closed. It is in example of a way to get others, even children, involved in helping you.

my best friend is well known at all the discount and dollar stores in her area, they save shoes, slippers, sox, underwear, gloves etc. for her when they don’t sell, and she distributes them at locations where meals are served to the homeless, and at the shelters.

trying to interest someone in starting meals on wheels to the elderly and homebound in this town.

our parish is collecting bikes, furniture, household items, stuff normally not taken by St. Vincent, to refurbish and give to those who need them. Bikes are necessary transportation here because there is no public transit, and many of the poor folks have only bikes to get around town to stores, doctors etc.

we have special collections every month for cash for St. Vincent, but also
undie Sunday – underwear, sox and other items which cannot be accepted as used clothing, must be new
diaper Sunday - disposable diapers for babies and elders
blanket Sunday - bedding of all kinds
baby care Sunday - this collection is in Pro-Life month, all baby needs for expectent mothers who elect not to abort and receive support during their pregnancy.
 
What about gift cards for meals, stores, etc. It can be a great lift for someone to buy their own stuff, sepecially if they have a dependent or friend to whom they would like to give a gift. It can help their sense of self worth.

What about giving out lists of aid agencies?

I have been having the same thoughts as you. I thought of packing up lunch bags (the thermal grown up kind) with aspirin, vitamins, snack bars, etc. to give out.

Around here, it is easy to find someone in need. Just exit the highway in the city, and a homeless person is usually waiting at the ramp. I try to keep some cash tucked in my visor, and then its just: exit, give, and then return to the highway.
Little time, little effort.

Keep it up! 👍
 
Yeah, I live in a town of 22,000 people. There aren’t many homeless, and the ones that are, don’t really make themselves known. You don’t see them sitting out on the streets like you do in bigger cities.You wouldn’t even think they existed.

That’s why I want to get a group together with someone who has a van (or hire one) so that we can just fill it to the brim with blankets and warm clothing and such. Give it out to the ones on the street that are too proud or too embarrassed to go to a homeless shelter.

Gifts like that can last a lot longer than a few dollars, which will barely even get them a burger at McDonalds these days.
 
Personal hygiene stuff is sure to be appreciated, especially in the form of a portable kit:

toothbrushes
toothpaste
dental floss
kleenex
deodorant
bath soap
hand sanitizer
combs/brushes
disposable shavers
shaving cream
small mirrors
feminine needs
nail clippers
etc.

Having ones own supply of personal goods gives a person hope and confidence, promotes good health and aids their dignity as human beings.
 
There is an organization in North Texas known as Seeds for Change. They do something other than just give out goods at shelters. They actually take the time to eat meals with the homeless around the area.

Love the concept.
 
Noske said:
When I eventually go through the RCIA, get baptized, and become part of the church, I want to set up a group of people that would help with making items for the poor and homeless, whether it be making blankets, or soup, or whatever else they need.

What I need though, are some cost-effective ideas that are simple enough for everyone to help with. I’m going to make a list of these ideas to post on my Live Journal to refer to later when I get the chance to set up such a group.

So far, what I have is the following.

Soup - My mother makes EXCELLENT chicken and corn soup.
Clothes - Knitted socks, gloves, beanies, etc. MAde by hand. Not just bought or donated.
Blankets - A square? I can handle that, even with my limited sewing ability.
Stuffed toys - For the kiddies.
Candy - I made awesome honeycomb. This might be good to sell and raise money for supplies
Bottles of water - Better than drinking out of a puddle, I imagine.
Canned food - Mmm. Beans.

Feel free to add to the list. And it doesn’t have to be just for the homeless and needy. It could encompass the elderly and the sick as well. But the main focus would of course be on the people that REALLY need some help.

This list will not only benefit me, but others on the site who are looking for ideas as well.
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Usually anything that is consumed is governed by local health laws. Bottled water must usually have sealed bottles. Food must either be commercially packaged or prepared in an inspected kitchen. Just saying this so you don’t labor over a pot of soup, only to find that the local soup kitchen cannot accept it. Find out the local requirements first. Something I did while I Iived in the Seattle area. I would on Saturdays now and then go down to the waterfront and simply talk with the homeless. I would carry $15 or $20 in McD’s $1.00 gift certificates and give away a few at a time. They could only be used to buy food, no booze or wine. (they could be traded with other for money, I know)
 
We wouldn’t be delivering it to a soup kitchen, but rather straight to those on the street.
 
Noske said:
Yeah, I live in a town of 22,000 people. There aren’t many homeless, and the ones that are, don’t really make themselves known. You don’t see them sitting out on the streets like you do in bigger cities.You wouldn’t even think they existed.

.
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if you ask the police, esp. if you know a policemen as a friend or fellow parishioner, they know there the homeless hang out at night.

our junior high classes as a service project collect toiletries and pack individual bags which are given to a charity that aids the homeless and also migrants, so they can be given toothbrush, shampoo etc. along with clothing and bedding when they are received.

when you donate canned foods to food banks, they can usually also accept toiletries and paper products which are items not covered by food stamps or WIC coupons, and very much needed by the poor.

the van idea is good, but find out what local permissions you need to do this and by all means exercise prudence and common sense and do not put your volunteers in harms way.

I have spoken before about the lady in my former diocese who shops at garage sales and has discount stores saving clearance items for her, and gets backpacks donated by schools. She buys, cleans and sorts good quality clothing “nothing she would not put on her own children” by size and packs the backpacks with new underwear and sox, Tshirt and sweats, labels them by size, adds a bag of personal toiletries, and brings them to shelters, and to churches that do have vans that cruise the hangouts, so a person can be given a nice bag full of what they need. she has gotten grants from churches and even Wal-mart for this ministry which has grown quite large and now assisted by others. please remember her in your prayers as well.

we have gone into the city with a donate van full of 100-150 bags and given them all out on a Saturday morning.
 
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