There are many misconceptions about the homeless. The average person thinks all homeless are alcoholics or drug addicts. The truth there are a lot of decent people who find themselves homeless due to health problems, unemployment, fires and other disasters. Homeless mothers with children are often the byproduct of a divorce with an exspouse who doesn't pay child-support. And some homeless are temporarily without funds and need a place to stay until they find a job.

If you have compassion in your heart to help the homeless there are things you can do. One church group in Arizona is called THE UGLE QUILT CLUB. They get together and piece fabric for sleeping bag quilts to keep the homeless warm. Church groups across the United States depend on volunteers to help prepare and serve meals at soup kitchens as well as the evening meal at the shelter. The local group here is Manchester Area Council of Churches. They collect clothing, furniture, and non perishable foods to help both the homeless and other needy.

Some of our supermarkets give away free foods with a purchase. For example: Shop Rites has a coupon for free carrots with a $7.50 purchase. Another day it might be free cabbage or a head of lettuce. A local quilting group uses those coupons for the free items and donates them to the homeless shelter.

The United States Post Office has one day a year where they ask residents to leave a bag of non perishable foods by the mail box. They collect and distribute these to shelters.

At Thanksgiving, and other holidays, some supermarkets offer a free turkey or ham for a minimum purchase of $150 in six weeks. Friends donate their free turkey or ham to the shelter or to food drives.

These are all ways to easily help those in need. As for volunteering, the soup kitchens always welcome individuals as well as groups. One lady bakes a large tray of fudge brownies once a month. Those who eat at the soup kitchen look forward to this treat.

The Salvation Army has programs to help children in homeless shelters. These range from after school help with homework to recreational programs. If you can help a child learn to read, add and substract or throw a basketball into the basket, you can offer your help to the Salvation Army.

Finally, I have to admit that some people who are homeless are there because of drug or alcohol addiction. Even so, the shelters are in need of compassionate volunteers. Money to run the shelters comes from donations and is never enough for all the services they want and need to offer. That's where volunteers can fill in the gaps.

So what will you do to help?


Reprinted by permission of Bea Sheftel

Bio:Bea Sheftel is a former journalist and editor. Her articles and fiction have been published in newspapers and magazines. She also teaches writing on line and in person. She also is a book reviewer for Romantic Bower, Heart Rate Reviews, Writers Club Romance Group (AOL), and editor at Fitness Heaven and Suite101 on homelessness.
The Homeless http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/8780/53571 Keeping the Homeless Warm http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/8780/59755