How Christians can Help the Homeless in
Isaiah 58 6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter?
You see them on the streets, or living in tents in the wood. 50 or more come to the drop ins and soup kitchens run by different churches and centres every week, hundreds more are in hostels, B&Bs or supported tenancies. You don’t see the hundreds of others who just about get by, sleeping on friends sofas, in empty buildings, or are in and out of institutions like hospitals and jails. You feel compassion, especially at Christmas time (though it’s a 52 week 7/24 problem) but it’s all rather scary and complex and you don’t know what you can do to help.
This page attempts to give some practical suggestions about how you can make a difference to the lives of homeless people in
· Learn
Inform yourselves about the lives of homeless people and the services that are (and often are not) available to them. Homelessness has many different causes, and there is no single solution. It’s often linked to poverty, family breakdown, domestic violence alcohol and drug abuse and getting into trouble with the law. You can get a good overview of the issues by reading The Salvation Army’s recent report “The Seeds of Exclusion”. You can download this from the internet at http://www2.salvationarmy.org.uk/seeds
Find out about the ministries and services that are available to homeless people locally and across the country. Almost everything in
Talk to homeless people you encounter and listen to the stories they have to tell. If you don’t know any homeless people you can always approach a Big Issue seller in the street. All of them have experienced homelessness, but are trying to find a way out and usually they are very happy to talk with customers about their lives.
· Pray
Once you have some solid information, about individuals, issues and ministries you can start to pray intelligently about homeless people and their needs. Your church or prayer group might want to focus especially on the issue, or to become a prayer partner with one of the ministries serving the homeless. Your church may want to run a special service to coincide with Poverty and Homelessness Action week in January –February. Their web site has some useful prayer and worship resources you can download http://www.actionweek.org.uk/html/home.html
· Give
You may feel moved to give to destitute individuals you meet in the streets or who call at your church. Think and pray through whether it is a good idea to give cash or better to offer or buy a cuppa and a sandwich. However, many people feel that money can be more wisely and effectively used if channeled through specialist charities working with the homeless. If you want to raise money or give to such groups locally it will be well used within a Christian ethos and much appreciated by The Salvation Army, Fox Street Community (linked with
If you want to give things instead of money the following items can be particularly useful for distribution direct to the most vulnerable homeless people.
o Non perishable foods (especially items that require a minimum of preparation and cooking and don’t need a can opener). If you can offer a regular supply of safe perishable foods you need to co-ordinate deliveries with one of the regular drop in services.
o Toiletries (such as razors, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, flannels, towels, combs and brushes)
o Sleeping bags, tents, bedding can be distributed via The Salvation Army
o Clothing, (particularly warm and waterproof outer garments, sturdy footwear and men’s clothing) is welcomed at The Salvation Army charity shop in Plungington Road (Please ring 821949 before attempting delivery).
o If you have good used furniture to dispose of contact the Emmaus Community on 796622 or Gift 92 on 716572
· Volunteer
If you have time to spare on a regular basis many of the ministries and organizations working with homeless people are glad of unpaid help in befriending and serving homeless people and in general support of their work. The opportunities we currently know of include:
The Salvation Army (Friday lunchtime, Monday daytime .. plus charity shop and IT work at other times in the week)
Restoring Lives (evenings especially Friday and Saturday)
Foxton Centre / Amity Befriending (Tuesdays and Thursdays lunch time –afternoons)
Fox Street Community ( various times through week)
Emmaus Community (various times?)
There are likely also to be some opportunities to help around special Christmas activities but please bear in mind that at this time of year organizations can be overwhelmed with well meaning volunteers and may not be able to find enough useful things for everyone to do.
· Campaign
The more you understand the lives of homeless people the more you are likely to understand that they face prejudice, inadequate services, limited rights and simple injustice.
If you start getting angry about homelessness you may want to get involved with campaigns run by Housing Justice the national voice of Christian action in the field of housing and homelessness. You can find out more from their website here
You might also want to find out more about Shelter the campaigning charity that has been leading the struggle against homelessness for many decade from the Shelter Website
One particular current local issue in Preston (and in other cities) is that there is no emergency shelter provision for people who suddenly become homeless or arrive in the city with no money and nowhere to stay. Single homeless people have very few rights to any assistance or support and end up on the doorstep of groups like The Salvation Army who have no capacity to offer much beyond tea, sympathy, a sleeping bag and an information leaflet. Recent government policy has directed funding to hostels that offer accommodation plus intensive support including training for employment and living a stable independent life. The good thing in this is that services offered by Fox Street community are much improved and two large new projects Emmaus and Recycling Lives are about to open. However, total bed space is insufficient and probably reduced while many homeless people are not eligible, are felt to be unsuitable or cannot fit in to the regimes in these hostels.
You may wish to find out more about this issue and raise it with your church, your city or county councillor or write to your MP about it to press for policies that will tackle the problems faced by the most deeply excluded and needy homeless people in