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Street Care

How To Help​

What if thousands of volunteers helped hundreds of thousands of people living on the streets by providing practical supplies, a friendly face, and wellness tips?  This is what we can together do through Street Care.

Here you’ll find practical advice on creating and providing care items for homeless people. You don’t need to be an expert! In challenging times, offering practical care is especially important.

Watch our how-to video series below (videos are only 60 seconds long). You can also print the tips, if you’d like.

Check out our Toolkit, with printable resources, and our approach. Review or print the tips below. Scripts

are included in each Youtube video.

Fill out the ‘I want to help!’ form, even if you’re not sure yet when you can participate.

Go out and be safe. Bring care kits or even just a water jug (and wellness and health tips!).

Then, fill out the ‘After you go out’ form. This helps Street Care better serve you and those on the street.

Get all this on our convenient App. Have other ways you’d like to help? Let us know. We want to work with you!
Your smile is a powerful way to connect! Be mindful of personal boundaries by maintaining a distance of 6 feet from others and approaching only when they feel comfortable. This creates a welcoming space for positive and meaningful interactions.
We do not recommend giving money. This is always your personal choice, but we recommend taking very little money with you as you do Street Care.

How-to Videos

You can also complete the following 30 one-minute video series as part of our Homeless Ally Course and answer a quick quiz to earn our Homeless Ally Certificate.

Introduction to Street Outreach

How to Prepare: Introduction to Street Outreach

Learn how to make preparations to perform outreach, including items to put in your “Care Bags”

Quick Tips:

  • Individual bags are easier to carry around.
  • Stick with basic items like soap, socks, and snacks.
  • Carry Street Care wellness information to pass out.

You Can Do It!: Introduction to Street Outreach

Don’t sweat it if this feels overwhelming at first…And we find that the experience itself often serves as its own inspiration.

Quick Tips:

  • Remember that your help may literally save lives.
  • The act of going out and doing this may give you inspiration.

Going in Groups: Introduction to Street Outreach

Go in groups, cover more ground, and learn along the way

Quick Tips:

  • Groups can share responsibilities and cover more ground.
  • Split into pairs so not to overwhelm anyone.
  • Working with others helps build confidence and knowledge.
  • Practice together, share the experience, learn from one another.

The Approach: Introduction to Street Outreach

How to break the ice and where to go from there

Quick Tips:

  • Respect homeless people and their personal space.
  • Pay attention to social cues
  • Introduce yourself and state your purpose.
  • Listen to what each individual has to say.

Respect People’s Space: Introduction to Street Outreach

Respecting personal space is important for both your safety and theirs

Quick Tips:

  • Respect boundaries — keep a 6 foot distance.
  • When possible, maintain the same eye level.
  • Don’t worry, but remain aware and calm.
  • Keep everyone’s safety in mind.

Introduction to Street Outreach: Dressing For Street Outreach

Dressing comfortably and intentionally makes all the difference

Quick Tips:

  • Dress casually and comfortably (esp. shoes).
  • Don’t be afraid to get dirty.
  • Remember to smile.

Street Outreach and the Pandemic: CDC Guidelines

If the individuals you interact with during outreach are amenable, consider sharing practical health and hygiene tips to help them stay safe. Simple preventative measures, like regular handwashing, can often be challenging for homeless people, so your support can make a significant difference.

These tips are also useful for you to follow to maintain everyone’s well-being:

  • Clean hands
  • Maintain a safe distance of 6ft from others
  • Be aware of common symptoms of illness

Street Safety

Street Safety: Children and Street Outreach

There are many ways to involve young children

Quick Tips:

  • It is not recommended to bring children under 14.
  • Children under 14 can still prepare items or make art to donate.
  • Once ready, you can slowly start to include them when volunteering.

Street Safety: Teen Video

By age 14 many teens have the maturity necessary to perform street outreach.

Quick Tips:

  • Anyone under the age of 18 must have written consent from a parent or guardian.
  • A parent or guardian should review the content from the Street Care website to make sure they are prepared and know where the teen is outreaching.
  • Street Care recommends teens should only do street outreach during the day.

Street Safety: Safety in Numbers

Bring a friend to back you up

Quick Tips:

  • Before volunteering, ensure your safety by going with another person.
  • Volunteer with a friend, family member, or acquaintance.
  • Don’t have more than 2 volunteers approach a single homeless individual.

Street Safety: Tell People Where You Are Going

Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back

Quick Tips:

  • Let someone know where you’re going and how long you will be gone.
  • Telling them increases your safety and can attract them to volunteer.
  • Inform your contact when you’re back at home.

Street Safety: Carry an ID, a Charged Phone, Water, and Food

Be prepared and bring these essentials

Quick Tips:

  • We strongly suggest you carry an ID, plus “Street Care” info and emergency contact info.
  • Have the “Street Care” app downloaded — and your phone charged!
  • If a police officer questions you, show them your ID and Street Care information.

Street Safety: Avoid Carrying a lot of Money

Don’t bring too many valuables and keep them in your front pockets

Quick Tips:

  • Carry a little money, such as $10.
  • Always carry belongings in your front pockets.
  • Keep your purse or bag in front of you.

Street Safety: Asking for Directions

There are a few options to safely ask for directions

Quick Tips:

  • If you lose your way, it’s okay to ask an approachable-looking person for directions.
  • You can use the opportunity to inform another person about street outreach.
  • If in doubt, look for a nearby store to ask for directions.

Street Safety: Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Stay safe by staying alert

Quick Tips:

  • Pay attention to your surroundings anytime you’re outside.
  • Check in with your partners to make sure you all feel comfortable and are in the safest place
    possible.
  • It’s great to focus phone use on using our app.

Street Safety: Trust Your Instincts

Be confident and trust your gut feeling

Quick Tips:

  • If a situation gives you a bad feeling, trust your instincts and walk away.
  • It’s okay to take a break and regroup or call it a day if you feel unsettled.

Approach Carefully and Alertly: Street Safety

Being alert and mindful helps to insure safe interactions

Quick Tips:

  • Don’t stare, but awareness is important. Be vigilant and careful.
  • Homeless person are vulnerable even in the best situation.
  • It would be extremely unlikely that someone would be dangerous.

Homelessness & Mental Illness

Homelessness and Mental Illness: Introduction

An introduction to engaging people showing signs of mental illness

Quick Tips:

  • Those with mental illness or mental disabilities don’t always show signs.
  • Don’t give up, even though sometimes it can be difficult.
  • Keep safety a priority, for yourself and those you’re speaking with.

Homelessness and Mental Illness: Don’t Make Assumptions

How to keep an open mind and work against biases

Quick Tips:

  • Consider the individual and their situation, don’t just assume.
  • Signs and symptoms can manifest differently and won’t always look the same.
  • Be mindful and respectful at all times.

Homelessness and Mental Illness: Possible Signs of Mental Illness

These indicators can guide the direction of your interaction.

Possible signs include:

    • Difficulty communicating.
    • Talking to themselves in some form.
    • Withdrawn or shut down.

It is still possible to safely continue interacting with the person

Homelessness and Mental Illness: How to Approach Someone Displaying Signs of Mental Illness

Introduce yourself, smile, and keep it simple

Quick Tips:

  • Smile, introduce yourself, but keep it simple.
  • Show the item you’re sharing as you mention them, to form a visual connection.
  • Respect boundaries and keep a safe distance.

Compliment and Connect With Someone Displaying Signs of Mental Illness: Homelessness and Mental Illness

Homelessness and Mental Illness: Compliment and Connect

Making connections can be easy if you engage with kindness

Quick Tips:

  • Be kind and make sure the person is at ease with the conversation.
  • Using compliments may help if the situation allows.
  • Give the person time to respond and listen what they have to say.

Homelessness and Mental Illness: What To Do if Communication is Difficult

Stay positive but don’t force an interaction

Quick Tips:

  • Not everyone will want a care bag and that is okay.
  • If appropriate, you may leave a care bag a few feet away, but don’t force it on them.
  • Stay positive, take a break if you have to.
  • Remember: you are doing what you can and that is great.

Homeless Veterans

Homeless Veterans: Importance of Helping Homeless Veterans

We strive to help homeless veterans

Quick Tips:

  • Homeless veterans are one of the groups we strive most to help.
  • Many veterans develop PTSD, fear or anxiety.
  • They can use our help to transition effectively post-service.

Homeless Veterans: What to Keep in Mind

Listen attentively with kindness, respect and empathy

Quick Tips:

  • Keep in mind unique circumstances veterans go through (PTSD, losing loved ones, etc.).
  • Approach with kindness, respect and empathy.
  • Be thoughtful and listen attentively.

Health & Wellness Tips

Pandemic Safety: Health Tips

Use and share these tips to help protect yourself and others from illnesses and infections:

Quick Tips:

  1. Keep hands clean 
  2. Maintain a safe distance of 6ft from others
  3. Stay alert for signs of illness

De-stress & Energize: Wellness Tip

Simple ways to reduce stress and energize the body

Quick Tips:

  • Flex and release hands to de-stress and energize.
  • Shake out tension through hands and upper body.
  • Breathe slowly to calm things.

Wellness Tip Awareness Breathing: Health & Wellness Tips

Awareness of the breath in the body

Quick Tips:

  • Put our hands on our chest.
  • Let breath come into the chest.
  • Breathing in, then and release on the out breath.
  • Just like the sea coming in and out.

Wellness Tip Relaxation Breathing: Health & Wellness Tips

Relax by connecting with your breath

Quick Tips:

  • As we breathe in notice how the breath is short or low.
  • As we breathe out notice how the breath is short or low.
  • Maybe your notice if it is smooth or rough or shallow.

Fast/Free Ways To Help

Introduction to street Outreach Easy Commuting Trips: Street Safety

Daily commute, lunch breaks, and brief outings can be great times to connect with local homeless individuals

Quick Tips:

  • You may see some of the same people again and again.
  • Taking time to learn more about these individuals is a great way to help them get off the street.
  • Carrying simple care kit and wellness tips in your backpack is a way to help homeless people.

 

Dental Hygiene