Direct-to-the-Streets
Pep Talk & Prayers
This section will be expanded with new items needed added and listed. Soon articles and videos will be added on the home page and in the Christian River Blog among other places in the network. Hopefully I'll be able to educate you on some simple things to do that will greatly benefit the homeless. But now that winter will soon be upon us and cold weather is already here, please remember these few things:
Even though most days are still fairly warm, street people are out there homeless 24-hours a day. It can get bitter could a couple of hours before sun up which is the coldest time of the day when the sun has been set the longest.
Even while I was on the streets myself and held down a part time job I always had emergency kits in my backpack for other homeless individuals. For $40 you can go to Wal-Mart and purchase knit hats for a buck each. Packages of men's white crew socks in sizes from 6-12 or 10-13 sell for around $6 or $10 for a dozen pair. Brown jersey gloves usually sell for around $5 or $6 for a bundle of around five or six. Brown jersey gloves are light weight, they are not heavy duty winter gloves, but they pack nice in a pocket or backpack and take the nip off the fingers. Ladies gloves, ski bands and ear protection all sell for around a buck or so apiece. Take forty or fifty dollars and purchase an assortment of these items so that you have them handy if you need them. They'll never spoil, so you can keep them in your car or in the trunk year round. Socks are always needed, especially in the winter time to replace wet socks.
These items are cheap, around a dollar a piece, but they are worth YOUR weight in gold to a cold and hungry homeless person caught outdoors in inclement weather or in the early hours before sunrise.
Charity Test
Not sure what to throw away and what to donate?
Within reason, give us everything you have.
Many people throw away perfectly good clothes that could be used on the streets. This idea comes from those charities that SELL the clothing that you donate. I remember several years ago while living in New York the Salvation Army placed an ad in the local newspapers with an angry tone to it, stating they had to send three full truck loads of clothes to the dump because they were not in good enough condition for them. They asked people not to donate "garbage". Not only should have every executive been replaced at that outfit, but people should have stopped donating. We have thrown away not one article of clothes. We also saw at a local charity, a store selling a pair of blue jeans with a huge hole in the pant leg near the cuff for $7.50.
We DON'T WANT culled clothes from those charities. If they are selling the clothes we don't want their throw aways.
The difference between us and them, and I hate to bring this up, is that we take the clothes to the street homeless who have no money and we service the poor without charging them a penny. When you sell your items they need to be of higher quality, but then you could do that yourself. There is no question we would love nice stuff. But some people sleep on the dirty sidewalks and need something to CLEAN to change into. Within reason, as long as your donated clothes are CLEAN, and that is the key word, put it in the donation tote or bags you have ready. We set our totes on the sidewalk and let the homeless folks pick through it for what they want individually. We allow the homeless one like items each, such as T-shirts and underwear. They take one T-shirt and one underwear until everybody has at least one of each. Then if we have leftovers they are allowed to go back through the clothes. Even old blankets can be used to sit on or as a liner under other sleeping gear. Within reason, I'm sure we can find somebody that will USE it. If we don't move it our first time around, then we'll take it back a second, third or fourth time. We've never thrown away even a plastic shopping bag size of clothes away. We always find a use for it as long as it is CLEAN. Use common sense!
In summary, we have one rule and one rule only and that is that you provide us with CLEAN, freshly laundered clothes.
Avoid giving your entire batch or emergency winter cold-weather kits to one homeless person asking that he distributes them to others, unless you know him and can trust him. Most homeless people are honest, but some would take your items and sell them at inflated prices to the other homeless persons at the time of their extreme need. Avoid that. That does not serve you or the people you want to help any good.
Simply having your items ready to dispense quickly, pull up to a curb near homeless persons with your passenger window down (or partner riding shot gun and sitting in the delivery seat) and hand the articles one by one to each homeless person. You can use any number of systems. Bag one of each, a knit hat, a pair of socks and a pair of gloves and hand out the bags. Or you can tell them what you have and ask them what they need, with only one pair or one of each item allowed for each person. Tell them what it is that you have and ask them to "please do not waste the products and if they don't need them, please give them to a needy homeless person." Also, ask them please do not litter.
Most homeless people will only take what they need. Not all homeless persons will thank you or express an abundance of joy. It is a cruel world to them living on the streets, but believe me they will be thankful in their hearts.
I'll list other tips as we go. If you don't carry money with you when you make deliveries to the homeless you can tell the truth that you aren't carrying money. Most homeless individuals will not ask you for money while you are making humanitarian runs.
If you did nothing but purchased and delivered these three BIG items, knit hats, socks and gloves, and nothing else, on a regular basis, once or twice a week, you would be a Saint and God will make a special place for you, trust me. (They might call you the Sock Man, or the Sock Lady or Hat Lady or Glove Man, but they will never call you selfish or greedy.
Do not be alarmed if you see someone you gave previously to asking again. Gloves and knit hats are frequently lost, accidently pulled out of pockets and dropped, forgotten and misplaced.
Once you do this enough, you'll get to know the homeless and you'll learn to love them and they will learn to love you. Take your time. Go slow. It takes time to build trust among a people society would rather not see. In time, or when you feel comfortable simply ask them what they need, and if you can arrange it or afford it, go get it.
Please don't hold the homeless hostage to long-winded sermons or prayer before serving them, especially food. They are hungry and worn. Let them have your alms and offer your spiritual services, but don't force it upon them. Force is never the way of Jesus Christ, but for choice.
If you can't do this yourself, but want to help in your community, find someone you can trust who will deliver the needed items to the homeless for you. Better yet, ride along with that person.
I've listed women's articles in the right column above, not because they are not urgently needed, but because there are usually less women on the streets. But there are plenty of women on the streets and they have serious needs. Most of their needs fall in the urgent or critical category simply because they are NOT served frequently with needed supplies.
Our charity has no boundaries. Service all in need.
Father in heaven, please help us provide for and help comfort the homeless, the hungry, the needy and the poor in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Come and take the Living Water of Life freely.
God Bless You and Sleep Tight!