Staying at a homeless shelter for the first time can be a difficult experience in the life of someone who has already experienced trauma. Sharing life (meals, restrooms, and bunk beds) with complete strangers can feel like a loss of control and even lead to despair.
How do we seek to change the narrative and the stigma around homelessness? By simply being present in the life of a shelter resident. Taking a few extra minutes to listen. Trying our best to eliminate stressors and create an atmosphere of peace, healing and restoration. Praying for our shelter residents by name. Attending to the smallest details to make sure that each person knows they are a person of great worth, and value, and dignity.
Homeless doesn’t have to be someone’s fate. By providing each person in need with access to safe and affordable housing, health care, social services, education and job training… and most importantly our presence, can have tremendous implications for good in someone’s life.
Unsure of what you can do to help?
Here are a few INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
Give through presence. We are always looking for encouraging, loving people to visit with our shelter residents and offer support, a listening ear and prayer. What might that look like? What about stopping by to play a board game, or sharing about a hobby you’re involved in? And we always love when someone stops by bringing a big pot of soup or brownies to share.
Support through tangible gifts of love. Not quite ready to visit? You can still give through the gift of toiletries, socks, underwear, cleaning supplies, and notes of encouragement. No gift is too small when it comes from the heart.
There are multiple ways to be present with those who are homeless. Not only will your presence dramatically change the trajectory of someone’s life but we guarantee it will change your life as well.
