How to help a homeless person? Helping homeless people - a necessity or a gesture of goodwill

Helps the homeless when they end up in Moscow hospitals, social workers help restore documents, contact relatives, and, if necessary, provide the necessary means of medical rehabilitation and basic necessities. The mobile brigade "Mercy" goes out on urgent calls to help the homeless, moreover, to the most remote areas of the city and does other important things for the social adaptation of people who do not have a home. On the site, you can make a regular or one-time donation, you can also provide financial assistance from abroad.In "Hangar of Salvation" Orthodox service "Mercy" people in a crisis can warm up in the winter in a heated tent, wash and cut their hair, eat, get first aid. Social workers of the Angara Salvation help those who apply to restore documents, establish ties with relatives, find temporary shelter and work, buy tickets home for those who have somewhere to return. The Salvation Angara gratefully accepts adult clothes and shoes, food, hygiene products, and the help of volunteers is also constantly needed. On the website of the service "Mercy" you can make a regular or one-time donation in favor of the "Hangar of Salvation", you can also provide material assistance from abroad.

• In addition to clothes, volunteers and financial assistance, you can buy disposable tableware and bring it to one of the traffic reception points "Kursky railway station. Homeless children". All details, contacts, as well as addresses of points for receiving assistance can be found on the organization's website.
• "House of Friends" created by former colleagues of Liza Glinka. The organization runs several life-saving programs for homeless people, such as "Street Medicine". Five days a week, a team of doctors, social workers and volunteers travels to places where the homeless gather. For one visit, about 30 patients are received and examined. You can help the project by making a donation. The "House of Friends" also accepts food and hygiene products. Contacts are on the organization's website.
• Employees Charitable Foundation "Helper and Patron" travel around Moscow in a converted bus and feed the homeless, give them clothes, help them get medical care and restore their documents. Just like the "Night Bus" in St. Petersburg, only in Moscow. If you want to help the bus and continue to save the homeless in Moscow, come to public fund at vk.com.
• Fund Samu Social(Samu Social International - International Ambulance Service - ed.) has been helping the homeless in Moscow since 2004. Two medical consultants and two psychologists work in the "field". Work is being carried out at the Elizaveta Glinka Center for Social Adaptation for Homeless Citizens, as well as in a tent for feeding the homeless near the Yaroslavl railway station (3/5 Krasnoprudnaya Street). But more importantly, the foundation considers it important to transfer the experience of working with the homeless to other socially oriented organizations. So its employees conduct master classes in Moscow universities. If you want to support the project with a donation or become a volunteer, you are here.
• "Friends on the Street"- a well-known movement to help the homeless in Moscow. Thanks to its active participants, among other things, the “lived|were” project of the “Such things” portal about people became possible, for various reasons beyond their control. Friends on the Street accept warm clothes for the homeless, volunteer help, and donations. You can find out how to help with money on the website, and in public vk.com explains quite clearly about other ways of support that everyone can provide to the project and its wards.

PETERSBURG AND LENINGRAD REGION

• Shelter, "Night Bus", heating points, laundry - just a few of the many programs to help the homeless of the St. Petersburg Nochlezhka. There are many ways to help the Foundation's wards. Firstly, it is easy to make a regular or one-time donation on the foundation's website. You can also transfer money using SMS, through terminals, and even personally handing over money to an accountant "Bunkhouses". In addition to financial support, Nochlezhka will be happy to accept medicines that do not require a prescription, canned food, condensed milk and other products that do not require cooking. Unnecessary mobile phones (with charging), as well as tickets, metro passes are always in demand.
• At Maltese Help Desk There are three ways to rescue the homeless - a mobile shelter, helping undocumented people return home, and treating the homeless. If you want to help, you can make a donation on the website of the service on the page of any of the projects to support the homeless.

Project " Help be homey. Gatchina» fund "Give thanks" invites everyone to help in any way possible - prepare food, help with its transportation or distribution. The foundation also accepts food, clothes and one-time donations. Every third Friday of the month, the foundation holds a tea party for volunteers at 18:00 at the address: st. Krasnaya, d. 1V.

BELGOROD

• local organization Mercy and care" accepts help in the form of things, shoes, bed linen and dishes. There is always a need for hygiene products and medicines. Find out how to contact and where to bring help in the organization group at vk.com.

VLADIMIR

• Fund for Social Support and Adaptation of Citizens"Dear everyone"contains a social shelter for people left without a roof over their heads. The shelter provides three meals a day, provides first aid and support in social adaptation. The shelter is self-sustaining and needs help all the time. If you live in Vladimir, you can donate food and things to the shelter. You can also make a donation. The site has the address and contacts.

VOLGOGRAD

• Charitable Foundation "Kindness on the Volga" was created just a year ago - in April 2017, but is already actively working with the homeless. Obviously, Nochlezhka with its projects was taken as a model, and this can only be welcomed. Now the foundation is raising money for a social laundry for the homeless, a “Mercy Car” for delivering food and clothes around the city, a hotline for help, and the construction of a Social Adaptation Center for 150 people. Unlike most regional organizations to help the homeless, Kindness on the Volga has a very modern and friendly website, which even has a timeline about the latest events in the life of the foundation. On the foundation's website, you can make a donation, find out how to become a volunteer, and also get acquainted with offers for businesses.
• Another Volgograd charitable foundation "Cathedral" also helps the homeless. The site is not finished yet, but you can already make a donation.
• Volgograd branch of the organization Caritas, also provides assistance to people without a roof over their heads and is always happy to help in the form of products, hygiene products.

VORONEZH

• Charity organization "Dawn" implements several projects to help the homeless. One of them is Good Warehouse, where anyone can bring unwanted clothes. It is distributed among volunteer communities, initiative groups, rehabilitation centers, shelters for the city's homeless people. Foundation employees also distribute hot food at the Voronezh-1 railway station and hold free fairs for the homeless. The foundation will be happy to help — from clothing, hygiene products to donations in any convenient way.

YEKATERINBURG

• If you live in Yekaterinburg and want to help the homeless, do it with the help of the Orthodox Service of Mercy , which throughout the year feeds the homeless, gives them clothes for the season and coupons for the bathhouse, where everyone can wash and process their clothes. And the employees of the Service provide professional assistance - medical (first aid). Lost passports are being restored, they are looking for an opportunity to settle in social hotels. The site makes it easy to make a donation and become a volunteer.
• Citizens' Aid Bureau for two decades has been providing legal and social assistance to the homeless on a gratuitous basis. Any help is accepted. You can find out more on the website.

IZHEVSK

• Project " Warm Krov» began in 2015 with a temporary stay for the homeless during the cold season. Now it is a community of people who help people who find themselves on the street. You can donate to anyone

Alexander Gezalov

Quite often I receive letters in which people are interested in how to help the homeless. They say that they noticed a homeless person somewhere and are already ready to bring him home, wash and feed him, help at least one. However, there is a demarcation zone between the desires to help and not to harm. And here it would be worth stopping, thinking more deeply about how and with what you can help the homeless, what resources are available for this - time, means, connections. And it is not at all necessary to immediately lead him home for feeding and lodging for the night. You should think about the safety of both the homeless person and those who decide to take him in.

I came to the conclusion long ago that caring for a person who finds himself in a difficult life situation should be unhurried. Thoughtful and thoughtful. Not only because it is not known what the physical and mental health of the homeless is and how he will behave, but also because there is a risk for those who live near us. How will your loved ones react to the appearance of a homeless person in the apartment? How will a homeless person treat your loved ones? Often people who live on the street for some time perceive negatively the fact that they suddenly begin to actively help. Negatively - and sometimes aggressively. Too often other people pass by them - and suddenly such attention. This will alarm anyone. And it often happens that children try to do this without telling their parents about it. Here it is necessary to make them understand that our home is our fortress, and that everything must be done in concert.

In order to start helping the homeless, you need to enter this topic. For starters, take an interest in the problems of homelessness. Not just why they live like this, but also what happens to them, what physiological and mental processes. This is necessary in order to better understand the line of their behavior. You need to know what the homeless are sick with so as not to endanger their children and loved ones. At the same time, do not suggest to yourself that if you left to think, it is at this time that “your” homeless person will die. No, he lives like this, he is used to it and is not going to change anything in his fate. Therefore, a new “social lift” for him must be prepared together. Moreover, for those who want to help, even more - because you will have to overcome not only yourself, but also the one you are going to help.

Often people immediately rush to help the homeless, because it's a pity, while not knowing at all what to do next after washing and feeding. Should I leave it in my apartment when I go to work? Should you trust him with what you have earned through your daily work? How to help recover documents? Reality will remind of itself pretty quickly. Keep in mind that often a homeless person can talk about three boxes, but in fact he is not Ivan, but Peter, and is on the federal wanted list. Etc.

What to do?

First. Almost every city has social services that help the homeless in one way or another*. You can call them and ask. Even if it is believed that the homeless do not trust them and do not make contact, you can ask for advice. The same can be done by calling public organizations, which can also suggest something and, possibly, take part in the fate of the homeless.

Further, if a homeless person has decided on a place of residence, one should be interested in his fate and help the organization in feeding and supporting such people. If possible, find a job that would be available to the ward. And tell those who have contact with him about it. That is, entrust the care of this person to those who know how to do it professionally.
Second. It happens that you feel that you are able to help him yourself. For example, he recently lives on the street, does not drink, does not hooligan, and so on. Then try to place him where he could receive help from you, in parallel with this, look for a job for him. But this, again, requires personal resources, time, money, connections.

If, apart from natural human pity, you have nothing, it is better to entrust such work to those who know how to do it.

Alexander Gezalov, public figure, publicist, orphanage graduate

Their lives are unfolding before our eyes. Passing by, driving in transport, we at least catch a glimpse, but we see how homeless people live. Constant worries about lodging and food, misunderstanding of others, isolation - and these are far from all the problems of these people. With the onset of cold weather, the list of difficulties is enhanced by the most terrible factor - low temperature. Most of the disadvantaged people are helpless, therefore, for kind and sympathetic people, the question quite naturally arises - how to help the homeless and do it in such a way that help is really effective and not a burden.

And social workers, for whom helping the disadvantaged is a daily reality, advise: you need to help slowly and deliberately. Here, as in medicine, the principle of "do no harm" applies. Suppose a kind woman, imbued with the fate of a homeless person, decides to invite him home: let him wash, feed him, dress him normally. But what will happen next? How will her family react to such a step? What does she plan to do after: kick a person out on the street, or try to help globally, arrange life, restore documents?

Possible difficulties

It should be noted here that not every homeless person will be ready to meet kindness. Every day he encounters indifference, aggression, sometimes even disgust - therefore, he himself can become hardened internally and not accept sincere goodness. And how will he feel if, having been in a warm, cozy house, he finds himself on the street again?

If you plan to help in a comprehensive manner, systematically returning a person to normal life, you should be prepared that this is not a matter of one day or even one month - which is worth only the restoration of documents. It should also be taken into account that a significant percentage of homeless people have a criminal past, and some of them, surprisingly, are used to such a life and do not want to change it. They are ready to accept help, but not ready to socialize.

So, how to help a homeless person right? First of all, you need to assess your strengths. Further - to understand that there is not only material resources for help, but also a reserve of patience in order to wisely respond to the whims, possible aggression, mood swings of a disadvantaged person, always directing him on the right path. Psychologists note that a person who helps a homeless person overcomes not only him, but also himself.

Who should be helped first? People who are ready to accept kindness, as well as people who urgently need help (the elderly, the sick, etc.). If you lack knowledge, strength, confidence, you should remember that there are professionals in the city and in the country who know a lot about proper assistance to the disadvantaged. You can ask them for advice.

Charity events to help the homeless

If you want to help, but do not have the desire and opportunity to take responsibility for the fate of a particular person, you just need to connect to the global assistance provided by charitable organizations to the homeless. For example, the charitable foundation "Social Partnership" has a number of programs to help and support people who, for various reasons, find themselves without a roof over their heads. This is, first of all, the campaign for the collection of clothes "Kievites for Kievans" and the collection of products "Dobrovozik".

Volunteers of the "Social Partnership" know how to help homeless people, involving all caring citizens in this. Moreover, nothing supernatural is needed to help: for example, to participate in the Dobrovozik campaign, you just need to buy food and put it in the foundation’s volunteer cart. Such carts are in large supermarkets in the capital. Everything is very simple - but thanks to such an action, hundreds of homeless people in the capital can get food, and therefore - survive in difficult conditions. The charitable foundation regularly publishes reports on the collected products, things and means.

As for the action "Kievites for Kievites" - it provides an opportunity to help not only the homeless, but also people who are below the poverty line. Caring citizens bring clothes to the aid center (volunteers accept any). People in need can come and pick up the right things for themselves - and therefore, save themselves from the cold, save money and send them to buy food or medicine.

Such help is simple for everyone, but very important for people who have to face daily difficulties. This type of help does not involve great responsibility, knowledge of psychology, time-consuming - but it is no less important, since every grain of kindness allows us to solve the most pressing problems of the homeless.

Experience of foreign colleagues

The volunteer movement in Ukraine, aimed at, is only developing. However, one should always strive for the ideal and learn from the experience of successful countries. For example, the United States and specifically the state of Utah, where the number of homeless people has decreased by 74% over several years thanks to the joint efforts of the authorities and charitable organizations.

It all started with the fact that in 2005, state officials calculated the cost per homeless person. About 16 thousand dollars came out a year - these are the costs of medical care, temporary maintenance, etc. At the same time, it cost $11,000 to provide a person with normal housing. Thus began a campaign to build residential complexes and mass socialization of the homeless.

The state's social workers know exactly how to help the homeless and bring them back to normal life. The disadvantaged do not just receive housing, medical care and benefits - they get jobs and constant psychological support (every homeless person has curators from volunteers and representatives of social services). As a result, most of the homeless people eventually find a permanent job, return to a full life.

In our country, this is not yet possible - there are too many other problems. But one should always strive for the best - and we have every reason to believe that over the years the experience of American colleagues will be adopted, and the problems of disadvantaged people will be solved even more effectively.

A well-known proverb says: "Do not renounce prison and the bag!" No one, except the Lord God, can know how today will pass and whether "tomorrow" will come...

Kaluga, a regional city in Russia, is not the only one where the issue of living and helping homeless people who, for various reasons, fell into the category of the homeless. This category of citizens has become hated by people who live in good conditions. Almost no one thinks why a homeless person ended up on the street and how to help him. But the reasons are completely different. We do not always see drunkards and loafers in torn clothes.

The main reason for human disgust, and even hatred, is the forgotten Christian commandment: love your neighbor as yourself.

Looking at how society is indifferent to their problems, the homeless go to various illegal actions. If the situation changes and the state finds more ways to help people without a fixed place of residence or the homeless, then the aggression on the part of the latter will turn into gratitude.

Indeed, how help a homeless person and who provides assistance to homeless people, persons without a fixed place of residence? To date, very few people can provide assistance to homeless people in Kaluga. If you know a person who lives on the street, or has been released from a colony, but has nowhere to live, or you need help, know that the volunteers of the “Mercy” ministry of the “Grace” Christian church are ready to help all those in need, especially homeless people. If necessary, we will send a person in need to a center for helping the homeless, homeless, where specialists will help to re-look at the life of a drug addict, an alcoholic, and a homeless person, and help the convict to adapt after release (adaptation after prison).

Thinking how to help a homeless person (homeless person) - bring him to the help center for the homeless! He may not get there!

Caring for people who have lost their “light”, helping drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless people and just homeless people is one of the main areas of the “Mercy” ministry of the “Grace” church in Kaluga, Obninsk, Maloyaroslavets, Lyudinovo, as well as in Moscow and Tula. Everyone who asks for help will receive attention.

Do not sit still waiting for a miracle, but simply take the first step towards it.

Help Center for the Homeless

A few years ago, no one knew about the centers where the homeless are helped. Now there are a lot of various recovery and rehabilitation centers for homeless people. Methods of work are different, the results too. On the territory of the Kaluga region there are several centers to help the homeless, one of the largest is the rehabilitation center "Vozrozhdenie".

In 2001, the rehabilitation center "Vozrozhdeniye" was opened in the church "Grace" in the city of Kaluga. Alcohol and drug addicts who, in desperate attempts to stop using, cannot find a way out, seek help from a rehabilitation center and receive it. And the homeless can find shelter within the walls of this center, undergo rehabilitation and recover for a normal life in society.

The main condition for staying in a rehabilitation help center for the homeless"Revival" is a great desire of a person to say goodbye to "home" in the street gates or to say: "I'm tired of such a life, help me stop drinking, stop injecting, wandering!"

Social rehabilitation for the homeless, people without a fixed place of residence (homeless people) in Kaluga, Obninsk, Tula, Orel, Bryansk, Moscow - this is the little we can do to help the homeless in our center.

If you know a homeless person, someone who has problems with alcohol or drugs, give him these numbers!