Meals for Homeless Veterans & The Homeless

Meals for Homeless Veterans & The Homeless

While veterans represent 8% of the total population in the United States, they are disproportionately represented among our homeless: a startling 12% of the homeless population are veterans, or 16% of homeless adults. Most homeless veterans–over 90%–are male. About half of homeless veterans are disabled.

You can help.

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports that on any given night there may be over 75,600 homeless veterans in shelters and on the streets across the country. Over the course of one year (October 2008-September 2009), 136,334 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter or transitional housing program, more than 5,000 of them alongside their families.

While veterans represent 8% of the total population in the United States, they are disproportionately represented among our homeless: a startling 12% of the homeless population are veterans, or 16% of homeless adults. Most homeless veterans--over 90%--are male. About half of homeless veterans are disabled.

Nearly three million veterans and their families don't have enough to eat each month. This is in addition to the physical, mental, and emotional trauma many veterans contend with every day.

Two-thirds of America's homeless veterans served for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone. They have served in all the conflicts of recent years, including Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF).

Around the United States, community groups are hampered by lack of space, lack of funding, and a lack of publicity about the numbers of veterans who are homeless and the challenges they face while trying to turn their lives around. As a result, veterans in need of help don't have many places to turn.

You can help ease their burden. Just $25 helps provide nourishing meals for veterans.
100% of your donation will go to the program described above as a grant through,
Help ease their burden. Just $25 helps provide we build homeless survival packs 4veterans.

Meals for Homeless Veterans



Hopefully one day we won’t have any homeless vets, or homeless people at all. In the meantime, having a few care packages to hand out is a great way to help out, and can be a fun group project for your family, church group, or book club!

Help ease their burden. Just $25 helps provide homeless survival packs 4veterans.


TOILETRIES
Include This: Baby wipes, lip balm, lotion, sunscreen Not This: Soap, hand sanitizer, mouthwash

A common mistake a lot of well-intentioned people make, is to put smelly soaps and lotions in the same container as food. Unfortunately, this makes everything taste and smell like soap. So, the first tip is to separate toiletries from food items. In fact, leave the soap out all together. Anywhere homeless people have access to showers will have soap they can use as well. Opt instead for baby wipes. Anything including alcohol, such as hand sanitizer and mouthwash, should also be left out.


FOOD

Include This: Applesauce, pudding cups, trail mix, beef jerky Not This: Crunchy granola bars, sticky food or candy Slim Jim Beef Jerky Tabasco 2The thing to keep in mind when including food, is that our friends living on the street don’t have regular access to dental care, so usually softer snacks are preferred over sticky and crunchy snacks. Strangely enough, however, the most sought after food item is beef jerky. Probably because it contains a ton of long-lasting protein, and fills you up! A variety of snacks to choose from is always nice, and most times they can trade for what they like.

MISC. ITEMS
Include This:Travel coffee mugs, gift cards, socks, band aids Not This:Cash, used items, shampoo, religious literature

When you travel by foot, clean, warm socks are always a welcomed gift! Travel coffee mugs are a great gift too, and will get the recipient a discount on refills. Including used items give the impression that this is your hand-me-down, and that the person who receives it isn’t good enough for a new [pair of socks, coffee cup, fill-in-the-blank]. Including a tract, or a Bible verse may seem like a kind gesture, but ultimately, unless you are going to be there for these people every day, it can seem trite, and unhelpful. Instead, if you are the religious type, take time to get to know the people you are handing out care packages too, and ask if they would feel comfortable praying with you.

PRESENTATION
We Do This: Hand deliver, smile, go in groups, stay and chat Not This: Throw out of your car, go alone

Aside from all of the physical challenges of getting food and shelter, homeless people are largely ignored and looked down upon. They are people, too! Take time to have a conversation with the people you are giving care packages to. You might be surprised at how similar their story is to your own, and how one misfortune landed them on the street. You will be blessing them more than you know just by giving them the respect and attention they deserve.



Also See: Written for the Homeless
https://www.facebook.com/notes/joseph-f-barber/written-for-the-homeless/10150618117519984
http://josephfreedomoranarchy.blogspot.com/2016/02/written-for-homeless.html

Good day all you beautiful people with your $10 donation we can feed a person for two days and it also helps us build our homeless survival packs that we give out seeing a homeless man woman or child in front of your house may be more relevant to your interests right now than people suffering in other countries we do send out our love to all those folks yet it's time we help those in our own backyards and country GOD BLESS AMERICA AND YOU AND YOURS LOVE AND PEACE "A brave heart is a powerful weapon"........a personal favourite of mine. "The only thing that is humiliating is helplessness." "Qualities of a moral order are measured by deeds." "When the governing class isn't chosen for quality it is chosen for material wealth : this always means decadence, the lowest stage a society can reach."FOUNDER : JOSEPH F BARBERHelping Homeless Veteranshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVX-h0jF15shttps://www.gofundme.com/giving-back-vets<a target="_blank" style="border:none;" href="http://www.gofundme.com/Giving-Back-vets?utm_medium=wdgt" title="Visit this page now."><img style="border:none;" src="https://funds.gofundme.com/css/3.0_donate/green/widget.png"></a>Option 2 paypalhttps://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5GUPMXQSBD9ZEOption 3Mail your Donation to 3952 willow ave,Bemus Point NY,14712Care of Suzanne D Button Project manager,Contact InfoPhone 760-573-4096https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb-Kj-olu8I
Posted by Joseph F Barber on Tuesday, February 2, 2016