What to Know Before Helping Out the Homeless

It's Christmas season and as any festive season, it is a time for giving and sharing the love. It is that time of the year when people feel extra generous and in good spirits. While we are planning our Christmas and holiday plans, it is also important that all of us remember those who are less fortunate and in need. We might be planning a great dinner on Christmas Eve but there are people out there who are starving and would be grateful for even a piece of bread. Or there are people who are shivering at night while we enjoy the luxury of having a heater or fireplace. It is a life I cannot imagine. When I attend presentations on helping the homeless if there is one message I would like to emphasise, it would be that being homeless is NOT a choice for most of them. Life circumstances are what brought them out there. It could be their negative attitude or behaviour that drove them out of the house. Or bankruptcy or being cheated or they suffered mental illness or they are LGBT who are rejected by society or they experienced loss of their parents/dependents and had nobody to turn to for financial help resulting in them living on the streets. Some are maybe ex-convicts, unable to obtain a decent job for a living and support themselves. There could be numerous reasons why they are where they are today.

Whatever the reason is, I feel that we need to empathize with their situation. People often have a common thought that the homeless are lazy and are not working to earn money and instead just begging for money. This is not true most of the time. There may be some people who are like this but if you do some research, you will realise that many are limited by health conditions, inability to be hired due to past convictions, high standards required for regular jobs including good health and the necessity of having a house address (which they might have lost) and transportation. How to build a good career and earn good money when you do not have any to start with? It is ironic but you actually need money to earn money. This is true even for a business. Because of this, they often resort to earning money by painting, playing music and performing on the streets.

I feel that each and every one of us that are privileged should always feel thankful and reach out to help others who are less privileged than us. Some may be more financially stable than others so the ability to help out in greater ways is more feasible compared to those who are less financially stable. Whatever your financial situation is, I feel that there are always ways to help out the needy, in this context the homeless. You can invest money, time, energy, spreading the message and if you cannot invest in all of the above, then a smile and kind gestures are considered charity to me. Do not underestimate the power of kindness. A smile can make someone's day and smiling is contagious. Most of the time, when you smile, you get smiles back.

Here are some tips on what you should be aware of when helping the homeless on the streets:

• Firstly, I highly recommend group volunteering compared to individual volunteering. Walk in groups because the areas where the homeless are usually clustered are usually not very safe. They are what the British would call 'dodgy areas' and the streets of these unsafe areas are where the homeless people call their home. I would say a group of minimum 20 people is required depending on how unsafe the area is.
• In the soup kitchens I volunteer in, they mention that every group must at least have 1 male volunteer for safety reasons. 
• Do not wear any jewelry, tight or revealing clothes, expensive items or bring anything valuable with you. Go simple. 
• Food distribution is usually carried out at night and for ages 18 and above only. If you are under 18, you can possibly help out in the kitchen with food preparation or office work. Meeting directly with the volunteers are usually done by the adults due to health and safety procedures.
• When approaching the homeless on the streets, do NOT wake them up if they are asleep or make loud noises which may aggravate them. Leave the food quietly next to them if they are awake.
• If they appear friendly and approachable, you may chat with them. However, avoid sensitive topics like religion, politics or stressful issues. They have enough stress on their plates and you are not sure how they might react. From most of my encounters, most of them appear stable enough for a normal conversation. So far, I have not witnessed anyone going out of control.  They are usually happy and grateful for your presence. 
• Do not give cash if you are doing a group volunteering activity or if there are many homeless people within sight. There may be cases of jealousy or robbery between them once you leave the place. Their safety might be in jeopardy and they have no home to hide from people with evil intentions on them especially when they are sleeping. 
• Avoid any physical contact by any means for your own health and safety. 
• Avoid taking their photos or videos. They might get defensive as they are not in the best state of life and might not want people to see them in that condition.
  
• If you have any wounds on your hands, ensure that you are wearing bandages. Cover any cuts you have so there is no unwanted bacteria or infection. You need to understand that the homeless barely have enough money for food and shelter. There is a high chance they have no money for expensive medications so they easily have illnesses or infections. Be sensitive about this and considerate of their feelings. You want to stay safe but at the same time, remain discreet and subtle about it. 
• You may want to consider getting an anti-hepatitis A and B injection, Td (tetanus), MMR (malaria, mumps, rubella), meningitis, typhoid, rabies, polio and the list goes on. Please check with you doctor on what injections you might need. Your doctor will be the best person to advise you on this.
• Finally, just relax and enjoy it. It is definitely something I look forward to and exciting as you get to roam the streets at night in a big group and meet different people. You will be amazed by the conversations you have and the feeling you get at the end of the day. It is very rewarding and makes you content at heart.
  

I highly recommend it to all individuals who are passionate to help the less fortunate. If you are serious about it, please take the necessary health and safety precaution. Your safety first. 

Please take care and any questions, feel free to drop a comment :)