Gift guide for homeless people

Be selfish, give a gift to a homeless person

This time of year, no matter what your worldview, religion or culture, it's hard, as you hurry past the homeless huddled on the street, to not feel like Scrooge. Whether you're taking your family to the Nutcracker, or pounding the pavement for a job yourself, walking past so many shivering mounds of human misery takes a toll on the psyche. Maybe your kids are tugging on your arm, asking why can't something be done? Maybe you (like so many of us) just don't feel comfortable handing out bits, or even wads, of cash. So what can YOU do to make a small difference? Here, folks, is the Annual Doc Gurley Homeless Gift Guide, with tips for how you too can safely give an affordable, life-saving gift to the neediest among us. Because when it comes to the homeless, that's when, truly, The Giving Is Easy. And once you see how simple and rewarding it can be to drop a gift with a homeless person, be sure to pass the word along. Email friends, post your efforts on Facebook or MySpace. Put together gifts to have in your car for those awkward moments when you're waiting at an intersection, staring at a scrawled "anything helps, even a smile" cardboard sign. It will change the whole tenor of your life.

What To Give:



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/gurley/detail?entry_id=78376#ixzz17BQFXOFi

:thumbsup: :hi:

She had great ideas for gifts for the homeless.

I only hope the person who I was aiming at got it...It is sad here...but GREAT gift ideas!

to make sure that all canned products have pull-tops instead of requiring a can opener. Mini cans of vienna sausage or fruit are also a great addition.

Eating out of a can is harsh enough w/o some simple utensils.

Having been homeless, here's a few more ideas.

1. for homeless women,whistles (to call for help), pads and tampons.

2. $5 long distance calling cards (most homeless people have friends or family somewhere they would like to talk to)

3. P-38 (the tiny military manual can opener)

4. Space blankets (even where you are wet they can help keep you from freezing to death)

5. small flashlights (ever had to find something in your backpack in the dark?)

And a note on socks. Normal cotton socks are just about worthless during the winter. 1 heavy pair of wool blend hiking socks will go farther and be more appreciated than 5 pair of ordinary socks.

Most importantly, remember that homeless people need things throughout the year, not just at Xmas. :)

:hi:

And thanks for more great suggestions.

:hi:

great job. I am going shopping and will fill some baggies and drop them off. I won't give them to an agency - they will probably keep them for themselves and use the items for stocking stuffers. Might go to Good Will and see what I can find. I just emptied my closet to help someone - I will see what I can do. They might enjoy some food treats also - JUST HELP THESE PEOPLE PLEASE.

sterile pads, surgical tape, cleaning wipes, etc. Not the useless ones that have 1 band-aid, 1 tongue depressor and adds for other stuff. Please make sure you're getting a useful kit.

Add a tube of foot cream or can of spray (maybe it even fits inside the first aid kit) and you have a great gift.

When I was homeless I would have killed to be able to wash my hair more often. There is shampoo now that does not require lots of water for rinsing. You use it anywhere at any time and simply comb it out, your hair is now clean. I would have LOVED to have been able to get my hands on some of that stuff!

I am now mostly home-bound, so I rarely get out, and when I do, it is door-to-door aided service so I rarely see anyone who is homeless anymore. Even so, I have a couple of gifts ready. They will find their way to a few people who need them.

Please join me, Liberal_in_LA, and others in giving out gift this year to those who need them most.

But charity alone is not the answer to homelessness. Charity has never been enough, and cannot be enough. So while you are being generous, please remember that only changes in how we think and act, leading to changes is public policies and laws will get homeless people back into homes again. Please promote effective assistance without judgments and prejudices. Please promote solutions that integrate homeless people back into our communities. Please make this one of your issues you speak up about year round!

Life on the streets is HARSH. We gave him some Burt's Bees diaper cream too which he told us he loved. These folks don't have access to showers or bathrooms often and hey the human condition calls for all of us to hit the pot.

These little things mean the world.

Unfortunately, creams for dealing with rashes and irritations will always be worth their weight in gold. :(

But, like lots of people, he's been on the receiving end of an overabundance of food this week — more Thanksgiving dinners than he can count at local churches, parks and other sites where the homeless get food. Sheptock says he's grateful, but thinks there could be a better way.

He tells new people on the streets that they'll be eating well through the holidays, but come Jan. 2, they'll be hungry again, especially on weekends when it's hard to find food. Now, he's written a blog post with some tips for those who want to help the needy during the holidays.

"Some give from the heart," he writes. "Others may do it to appease their conscience. Or it might be a tax write-off. Regardless of the reason, we'll take 'em all — and appreciate them all. However, there are certain things that people should understand when giving. One is that, on occasion, there are too many people giving to the homeless at one time."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/11/23/131545121/advice-from-a-homeless-man-holiday-givers-need-to-coordinate