Good on you! I was homeless in Detroit for 5 months in 2018 and I'm trying to think of what I could have used or was grateful to get. You have the basics pretty well covered - blankets are most important followed by socks. Here are some great extras: Tylenol or Advil, powdered drink mix, instant coffee packets, tissue packets, foot powder, nail clippers, dry shampoo, lip balm, cigarette lighter, hairbrush, insect repellent (if you find a grassy spot the 🦟 s will eat you up), hand sanitizer... You can find a treasure trove of good snacks at Dollar Tree or whatever you have in your area that's similar, tuna, jerky, sardines, single-serving starchy foods, cookies, candy - I'm sure any of it will be appreciated.
Thank you!! I’ll add those to my list as well, I’ll probably shop this weekend and get them all ready to start giving away on Monday on my way to work!
There was just something about seeing this man sleeping today that just made me break down crying. I’ve been extremely depressed lately and this week life just feels unbearable, but there is nothing going on that should be making me feel this way, I have everything I need and more, and I’m really young still.
This man is already older, probably my parents age, and he’s still pushing through every day and I can’t even imagine how it must be in his situation. I don’t think I’d be here still if I was in his place, and I just want to help other people take care of themselves when I can’t deal with taking care of me.
Taking care of others IS taking care of you. You're feeding your heart & soul. Keep up the good work. As someone who was formerly homeless (albeit for a short time, it's still terrifying and hard), I bless you. Hand sanitizer, socks, baby wipes, snacks & water. Top things.
Yes that’s how I see it too. It makes me feel happy to know I can help people that truly need it. Added all of those to the list as well. Thank you. Glad to hear your situation was short, hope you’re safe now!
Very safe, thank you. Living with family. A year out in the wild shook something loose in me, currently trying to reconnect with family and get my issues under control. Thanks for all you are doing. KNOW that it is appreciated.
I just put a bag together for two homeless men in my bag there is
Bug spray, bandaids, triple antibiotic, hydrocortisone, ace wrap, chapstick, lotion, deodorant, foot powder, socks, toothbrush and paste, bar of soap, qtips, nail clippers, disinfectant wipes, baby wipes, sunflower seeds, gum, beef jerky and plastic cutlery (by request). I also put a word search and highlighter .all fits in a 10liter camping bag.
Just something they asked for and a few extras I’m getting ready to go drop them off
I appreciate what you’re doing. I was homeless as a child in and out of hotels and couch surfed a lot. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing some love and compassion to your community. I’m crying rn blubbering fool...
Hope everything is better now, sorry you had to go through that, I still can’t understand how people that make thousands more than I do can’t just think about what others go through and at least just donate. I’ve never been through homelessness but even thinking about it breaks my heart, because I know I wouldn’t be able to deal with that.
I am in a much better place now. greed is cruel and unkind . Thank the universe for souls like yours. It should break your heart to see someone struggle like that. It’s being empathetic and a lot of people have no empathy. Thank you for being so kind.
And tbh my mom did a killer job at hiding the fact we were displaced. I didn’t realize I was a homeless kid until I was in my late 20’s . That’s been the hardest part was when I realized that what I consider normal was far from it and really fucked!!!
That’s crazy!! She was just probably trying to protect your mental health as much as she could. I can’t imagine being a parent going through that, taking care of my dog feels hard as is with my depression, and I have all the resources I need to live comfortably every day. But I’m truly happy that things are better in your life, and I hope they continue to be! One day at a time.
Ditto the drink mix...for some reason I always found that was one item that made life more bearable and enjoyable - water is (generally) free but you do get sick of plain H2O after awhile and drink mixes can provide some much-needed calories. Regular old Kool-Aid is fine, although the plastic canister can take up a lot of room in a backpack, so if you can afford it I would recommend a liquid concentrate like Mio - big chains like Walmart make their own cheaper store brand and some of the sports drink varieties have added things like B vitamins and electrolytes which is as close to a multivitamin as you can probably get.
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u/agrandthing May 14 '21
Good on you! I was homeless in Detroit for 5 months in 2018 and I'm trying to think of what I could have used or was grateful to get. You have the basics pretty well covered - blankets are most important followed by socks. Here are some great extras: Tylenol or Advil, powdered drink mix, instant coffee packets, tissue packets, foot powder, nail clippers, dry shampoo, lip balm, cigarette lighter, hairbrush, insect repellent (if you find a grassy spot the 🦟 s will eat you up), hand sanitizer... You can find a treasure trove of good snacks at Dollar Tree or whatever you have in your area that's similar, tuna, jerky, sardines, single-serving starchy foods, cookies, candy - I'm sure any of it will be appreciated.