No Job, No Home, Please Help – What Will You Do?

The following article continues to be one of the most popular that I’ve written and it’s become tradition that I run this article every year at the holidays. Given the fact that we are approaching the holidays, I wanted to re-post it. I have been trying to perform random acts of kindness this season – giving a waitress a tip that amounted to the purchase price of the meal, paying for someone’s coffee behind me at a coffee shop, and more. As we approach these holidays, remember that for some people, this is a time of their darkest moments. Most of us are filled with hope, joy, and family, while others are wondering how they will feed their family, much less buy gifts. Below is the article and gives some ideas of what you can do to help others:

This past weekend, a man held a sign that said, “No Job, No Home, Please Help” kneeling on one knee at the entrance of where people turn to get on the interstate. We have all seen the signs, “Will Work for Food” and other signs like it amid the recession and high unemployment rates. What can we do to help? The image especially troubles me at this time of the year, but indeed, breaks my heart year-round. I want to help, like many of you, but have not been sure of a good way to help.

I researched some ways of some items you can easily have in your car to help:

12 Ideas for Hospitality Bags

•   Look up “Shelters” in your Yellow Pages and put the shelter (s) name on a card with their address and phone number. Perhaps have some calling cards available to give to people so that they may make a phone call for help.

•   From e-How, I found the things you’d want to include in a Hospitality Bag (written by Bob Waldrop). You can view the full article here, “How to Make a Hospitality Bag to Help the Homeless” Here are some of Mr. Waldop’s suggestions for your Hospitality Bag.

1. Paper lunch bags
2. Small packaged foods like Vienna sausages, sardines, peanut butter and crackers, etc.
3. Granola or “power” bars
4. Clean socks
5. Hand lotion
6. Hard candies
7. Small servings of canned fruit or pudding
8. Plastic zip lock bag
9. Dry washcloth
10. Small soap
11. Napkin and spoon

Other Ideas

Some other ideas for your hospitality bag might include Potted Meat, individual sizes of Peanut Butter, applesauce, juice boxes, individual packages of nuts, peanut butter or cheese crackers, bottled water, and / or individual packages of cereal.

You could also assemble hygiene bags to distribute that includes such things as toilet paper, soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, toothpaste, dental floss, and / or diapers. At this time of the year, having some extra gloves, hats, blankets, sweat shirt, sweat pants, or anything warm is a big way to help. You never know if there might be an entire family affected and this person is the one who is going out looking for help.You may decide to go and purchase a meal for them at a fast food restaurant so that they may have a warm meal.

I have seen many people in a public place (i.e. in the downtown area, by the interstate, etc.) and it would be very easy to have these kits available in my car to give to someone. I’ve read where one man assembles these types of kits (including the blankets) in a thrift store backpack to hand out to people. Of course, be careful and approach people with caution. Make sure you are in a busy area where other people are present.