Top 10 Ways to help a Homeless Person
In every society, there are some people who are more privileged than others. Some people, however, are so far below the poverty line that they cannot even afford to keep a roof over their heads. They are forced to live on streets, feed on crumbs, and wear the same clothes for days, if not weeks, as they do not have any other option.
The rich, or those who are blessed with sufficient money, have a responsibility and moral obligation to help out the homeless people that they come across in their neighbourhood. There are different ways of making life a little less tough for those without a shelter, food, and clothes.
Instructions
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1
Empathise
Putting yourself in the shoes of a homeless person will help you to realise just how much they are suffering. By thinking about how little they are blessed with, you will find yourself respecting them much more, which in itself is a huge help for those who otherwise have nothing.
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2
Communicate
Instead of maintaining a distance from a homeless person, try to get to know him. Communication is the key to learning about the difficulties that they face in everyday life and what you can do to help them.
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3
Let go of the clichés and stereotypes
When you think of a homeless person, the first thing that most likely pops into your mind is a pestering, ill-mannered fellow in shabby clothes, having bad breath and a bad odour. This is an exaggerated and much distorted projection of a homeless person. Clinging to the clichés will not let you empathise or even communicate with them properly.
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4
Take help from NGOs
You can either join an NGO that specifically works for homeless people, or you can take the homeless person with you to the NGO and have them take care of him/her.
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5
Financial help
There is no greater help for a homeless person than financial help. With money, he/she can buy himself food, get a roof over his head, buy clothes, etc.
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6
Provide them with shelter
You can help a homeless person by providing him/her with shelter. If you are comfortable with having them stay over at your house, then that is fine. However, a better thing to do would be to rent them a room at a cheap hotel.
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7
Provide them with daily-life necessities
Think of the things that you simply cannot do without in everyday life and list them down. Go through the list to cross out anything that is even remotely close to being a luxury item, and then buy the remaining items to give to a homeless person.
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8
Food
Food is one of the biggest needs of a homeless person as he/she has no money to afford it. Rather than continuing to watch them feed on crumbs, make their lives a little easier and healthier by giving them food.
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9
Start a help centre
If you have ample resources at your disposal and are committed to helping homeless people, then you should start your own help centre. Bring together a team of like-minded people who share your desire to make life easier for the under-privileged, and then start working towards your goal.
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10
Find them a job
Just because a person has no money, no food and no shelter, does not necessarily mean that they have no talent or skill either. Try to discover that talent and then find them an appropriate job.
