How Faith Communities and Service Organizations Can Help End Homelessness
Faith communities and service organization play such an important role in helping to end homelessness, in ways both large and small. Some offer much needed immediate assistance to individuals and families who are homeless. Others are exploring ways to offer the kinds of assistance that help people who are struggling with homelessness to achieve long-term stability and independence.
Ease the burden of homelessness
- Operate or support a food bank
- Host a shelter (managed or rotating)
- Coordinate a clothing or blanket drive
- Gather and distribute toiletries and other personal essentials
- Organize special meals
- Host Tent City
End homelessness
- Provide first and last months rent and a damage deposit for clients that a service provider is trying to place in housing
- Create/support a housing unit by purchase or rental subsidy for use by a housing/service provider
- Support a congregant in making a unit available to a housing/service provider by offering to fix up a unit that the congregant has available to rent and/or agree as a congregation to make any needed repairs if the unit is damaged during the course of the rental
- Adopt a supportive housing program and provide moving in supplies like blankets, towels, dishes, and other essentials to help new residents as they move in
- Offer life coaching/mentoring, in partnership with a service provider
- Supply administrative/classroom space for housing or service providers
- Persuade your elected officials to join the effort to end homelessness now!
