How To Help The Homeless In Your Town This Winter

ROCKVILLE, MD — Some people use the holiday season to remind themselves how fortunate they are and spread cheer to others. Whether you give to Salvation Army bell ringers or donate to a church, synagogue or schools, the holiday season is often a time of helping those in need.

But just how best to help the homeless beyond the holidays? Do you give money to panhandlers on the street who critics say they will use it for drugs or booze, or do you support shelters and outreach programs? Ignoring a plea from someone on the street can be difficult, especially in the bitter cold, says a homeless advocate.

“It’s human nature, we judge other people,” Debbie Ezrin, the director of development and communications for the Montgomery County Maryland Coalition for the Homeless told Patch. “But I think that most people who sit down with our clients figure out it could happen to anybody. People’s lives are far more complicated than you can assume.”

The choice to give money to panhandlers is an individual decision. If you decide not to, there are many other ways to help the homeless: you can volunteer or donate to a shelter, buy a street newspaper or donate food.

A 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that homelessness increased for the first time in seven years. On a single night in January 2017, the agency found 553,742 people were experiencing homelessness nationally. This is a 1-percent increase from 2016.

Sixty-one percent of the homeless are men, while 39 percent are women. California and New York are the states with the largest numbers of homeless, the report says.

Despite a national increase between 2016 and 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness decreased in 30 states and Washington, D.C., during this time period.

How To Help Homeless

If you want to help the homeless but don’t know where to start, many local shelters depend heavily on community support. The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless relies on volunteers bringing food to its emergency shelter. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, corporate groups, church groups and more prepare food for the men at the organization’s emergency shelter.

Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest areas in the country, and about 200 men stay in its emergency shelter each night in the winter. While some of these men struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, mental health issues, or physical disabilities, many of the men are homeless because of the lack of affordable housing.

The average two-bedroom apartment in the area costs $1,600 each month, and some people working full-time minimum wage still cannot pay rent.

In November, Atlanta's Mayor Kasim Reed announced the city effectively ended homelessness, three years after he joined other city leaders around the state in accepting former President Barack Obama's challenge to stamp out veteran homelessness by 2015.

Since that time, Partners for HOME and the providers of the Atlanta Continuum of Care in partnership with HUD, the Veterans Administration and the Atlanta Housing Authority, have worked tirelessly" to create a coordinated system to identify, assess, connect and permanently house veterans, Reed's office said. To date, the CoC has placed 1,859 homeless veterans into permanent housing, the city notes.

Atlanta's efforts to reaching this goal, the city added, stem from an effort between service providers, housing authorities, local agency partners and the "robust and tireless work of the philanthropic community."

At some shelters, volunteers can directly help the homeless search for housing, employment and apply for benefits. The Men’s Shelter of Charlotte in North Carolina allows volunteers to work one-on-one with the men. In Arlington, Virginia, volunteers at A-SPAN can participate in a client companion/mentor program. Volunteers help clients run daily errands, assist with resume building, help with reading and writing skills and more.

Ezrin told Patch that there’s a huge need for warm clothes for homeless people around the U.S. Community members can donate items like winter jackets, boots, under garments and sweatshirts.

“We’ve had men come in with severe frostbite and have lost their toes because they don’t have proper shoes,” Ezrin said.

Where To Donate

Here's a list of some organizations you can donate to or volunteer at to help the homeless in your area.

Maryland:

• Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless
• Interfaith Works
• Project PLASE--Serving the Needs of Baltimore's Homeless
• Homeless Persons Representation Project
• Haley's Helping Hands of Maryland, Inc.
• Health Care for the Homeless

Virginia:

• Virginia Homeless Solutions Program
• Housing Assistance For Veterans
• Helping Hands Volunteer Program
• Falls Church Homeless Shelter
• Manassas Hope for the Homeless

Washington, D.C.:

• Thrive DC : At the Heart of a New Start
• DC Central Kitchen
• Bread for the City
• Miriam’s Kitchen
• The Homeless Children's Playtime Project

Charlotte, North Carolina:

• Urban Ministry Center
• Men's Shelter of Charlotte
• Charlotte Rescue Mission
• Hands On Charlotte
• Homeless to Housing

Atlanta, Georgia:

• HOPE Atlanta
• The Atlanta Children's Shelter
• Atlanta Mission
• Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless
• HomeAid Atlanta

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