Responsibilities

A small donation from your end can be a huge help for homeless shelters. There are several shelters in Australia that provide the homeless people three meals a day, 365 days a year, which means they require a lot of money. If you can donate even a small amount like AUD 10 or 20, it can cover a couple of meals for a family. The shelter can also use it to purchase supplies or pay their staff.

There are several ways to help someone and make a positive impact on their life. Money is essential, but it is not the only thing you can donate. Homeless people in Australia often look for new items like soap, kitchen supplies, toilet paper, or other essential items. Giving used clothes (particularly warm clothes) is also an excellent way to help the many homeless people who do not have enough clothes to stay warm.

There are many homeless shelters which depend on volunteers to organise and work at different segments, serve meals, collecting donation or contribute with specialised skills. It will be great if you can fit it in your daily or weekly schedule, but even if you can only volunteer once a month, you should go for it. Participating as a volunteer is the best way to involve and learn more about homeless people while helping those in need.

Most of the people turn their back when they come across homeless people, but they do not realise that this behaviour damage the self-esteem of the homeless and they feel further lonely. We do not understand that only a simple smile, a handshake or a small talk can turn their day around. So, whenever you see a homeless person, approach with a smile and talk to them. Who knows, it might brighten both of your days.

You can always raise your voice in support of the homeless people in your locality or nearby. If there are too many homeless people who are not getting the government service, you should talk to your local authorities and advocate for a local homeless shelter where they can fulfil their basic requirements. You can also start a social media campaign to raise funds. Ask concern people to join you as it will make your voice further powerful.

It’s not at all easy to understand the specific requirement of a homeless person, especially when you see them on the street. So, it would be a much better option, if you prepare yourself by creating ‘special bags’ for homeless people that should have drinking water, snacks, socks, personal hygiene items, food coupons, some money and other such vital items. Carry these bags in your car so that you can help them whenever they need.

Several homeless individuals would rather work for what they get than receive a favour or donation. Thus, you should consider hiring such a person for a task like clean up leaves from your lawn and mow it, necessary cleaning of the house and appliances like fridge, washing machine, etc. When you pay these people for the work they do at your place, you help them with money and more importantly, it raise their self-esteem.