Homelessness is a growing problem in all countries. It is estimated that one billion people in the world lack adequate housing, including 100 million who are completely homeless. In the United States it is estimated that, on any one night, 750,000 Americans will be without shelter and that approximately three million Americans will be homeless at some time during the year.
Services provided by homeless shelters vary greatly from shelter to shelter. Some provide strictly a place to sleep at night; others offer a full range of services, including food, clothing, transportation, referrals, medical services, and legal services. If you live in a city of any size, then there is at least one shelter that helps homeless people with meals, beds, and other services. Shelters thrive on the work of volunteers and usually have a variety of programs through which you can get involved. You might:
- prepare or distribute meals
- work administratively in the business office
- help organize a food drive to stock the pantry
- collect clothes for residents of the shelter
- deliver a "brown bag" lunch directly to the homeless
For more ideas on getting involved, visit
www.justgive.org/html/guide/50wayshomeless.html For information on shelters in your area, visit Shelters.org (
www.shelters.org), the most comprehensive web-based directory of homeless shelters across the
United States and
Canada. Shelters.org was developed as a resource for homeless individuals, social service workers, and shelter administrators. As of today, more than one thousand shelters are listed in the directory. Each listing includes the shelter’s name, contact information (including physical address, email address, and website) as well as a list of services offered by the shelter. Additions to the directory can be made on the Shelters.org website through the directory’s “add a link" option.
Lois Lannin maintains the Shelters.org directory and also manages the Goodwill Inn homeless shelter in
Traverse City, Michigan (www.goodwillinn.org). Says Ms. Lannin, “Homelessness is a growing social concern around the world, but one that we must face first on a personal level—reaching out to those who are struggling. Access to information and knowledge is an important key to empowerment. It is my hope that, as the database grows and is refined, Shelters.org will provide a practical resource for both individuals who need shelter and for those who work beside them as social workers.”
