As much as the homeless community really does appreciate all the good work by volunteers and nonprofit organizations to provide nice meals to the homeless during the holidays, we all have to agree on one thing: A plate of food does not change someone’s living situation.
Tuning into television during this holiday season, it seems like every news channel has a lot of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other nonprofit organizations raking in thousands of donations in cash, turkeys, meals, gift cards etc. Where all those items end up is anyone’s guess. Having been on the streets and in the D.C. shelter system for years, I have yet to receive a single turkey.
Instead of giving out meals, how about investing in long term solutions that can help out the homeless community?
Many people experiencing homelessness have a hard time getting to their appointments, including doctors visits, job interviews, even a public library to stay warm when it’s cold, since many are not allowed to stay in the shelter after 6 a.m.. They would gladly take the $35 you just spent on that turkey and put it on their Smartrip card so they can get around.
A lot of people in the homeless community have a hard time getting jobs due to the fact that they lack the proper identification, like driver’s licenses, which in some cases costs money.
People who are really interested in helping out the homeless community should focus on supporting programs that actually give homeless people an opportunity to make progress in their lives. Six months, which is a conservative estimate of how long it might take to complete a job program, might seem like a long time. But if volunteers and donors were able to offer more support, there are many entry-level job opportunities that homeless people could qualify for.
For instance, the nation is grappling with a truck driver shortage and a lot of truck driving schools have training programs. The only problem is many homeless people have no means of getting to those training facilities, and even if they did, many don’t have the right kind of identification and documents to show because they lost all their IDs while experiencing homelesssness.
Moreover, many people going through the trauma of homelessness are also battling with the serious illness of substance abuse. More aid and donations should go to organizations that offer outreach and case management programs. This street newspaper, for example, offers an opportunity for someone who is experiencing homelesssness or has ever gone through it to find their own path to success by becoming an entrepreneur: learning money management skills, making their own hours, and utilizing case management programs. Many people experiencing homelessness also have to learn to navigate the new high tech world, where even applying for a new job requires basic computer skills. Homeless people would use all these services to persevere during trying times, especially during the pandemic.
One way or another, homelessness is here to stay. We all know someone who just hit rock bottom, and maybe with some grace they can be picked up. So two questions we should ask are: How quickly can someone be helped as soon as they become homeless, and can it be done before it’s too late? One thing I know for sure is a turkey that has 10 toes is not going to do the trick.
With that being said, if all you can do is provide a meal, that’s great. But please, if you have the option to help out more organizations that are focused on back-to-work job skills, that would be even better.
Colly Dennis is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
