Normally, when people think about the homeless, they think about providing them with food. In my (confessedly limited) experience working with them, I have found that food is not usually their greatest need.
For example, in work that I’ve done with the homeless in Tampa, Florida, the people themselves told us that they had enough food. They told us how, when church groups come, they always bring food.
What do they sometimes need more than food? This video gives a clue.
[tentblogger-youtube Oi5AwcTamdY]
People that don’t have a home have told me that they usually need things like socks and underwear more than food. Also, basic toiletries like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant are very popular. This isn’t true for every context, of course, but I think a lesson is to actually dialogue and engage the people you’re trying to serve to find out what their biggest needs are.
So what do you think? What lessons have you learned in serving those that don’t have a home? To leave a comment click here.
Hey Rodlie this is a good point. I recently listened to an TED talk about aid giving around the world and why most of it doesn’t work. It is due to the same thing. The presenter said that often we come in with what we think people need and apply an unwanted fix that fails as soon as we leave.
He said that the key is that we actually need to talk to people first and find out what they need. He mentioned that many if these people are not stupid. In fact many of them know what will make the most impact in their living conditions better than we do because that have lived it.
I guess in all our caring about people … we need to also care enough to listen to what their actual needs are and not just give to put a check mark on our list of good deeds.
Mercy…
Wow!