How to Give

To prevent and end homelessness in Tarrant and Parker Counties, we need all hands on deck. You can play a major role in eliminating homelessness in our community. Giving back to your community is a simple, yet effectively tool in making homelessness a rare, short-term, and non-recurring event throughout the Metroplex. Remember to AID: advocate, invest in our community, and donate goods and services.

A - Advocate for the Homeless

One of the best ways to help end homelessness in Tarrant and Parker Counties, is to advocate on their behalf. People who fall into homelessness rarely have a voice in our community or the means to advocate for themselves. You, as a voting citizen, have a major influence on how our government and the business sector deal with the issue of homelessness. Here are some examples of ways to advocate for the homeless.

Write a letter to your elected officials. Whether federal, state, or local, your elected leaders set their agenda by how vocal you are. To help make homelessness a priority, send correspondence to your elected officials. They are there to serve the public's needs.

Follow local politics. Attend neighborhood and public meetings and speak up in favor of low-income housing, group homes, shelters, and homeless prevention programs.

Educate your leaders. Organize site visits for political leaders and the media to visit local homeless programs to highlight ways that your community is successfully addressing the many problems associated with homelessness.

Contact the media. Call or write the media to inform them of your concern for people experiencing homelessness in your area. Write editorials when important issues related to homelessness arise in your community.

Encourage the homeless to advocate for themselves. Educate people who fall into homelessness on ways to advocate for themselves. Join support groups or create a group that fosters discussion and debate.

I - Investing In Your Community

An overlooked, yet valuable way to assist in ending homelessness in our community is to make an investment. Whether you are investing money, resources, or time, you can have an impact restoring stability back into a homeless persons' life. Here are some ways to invest in your community.

Volunteer. You can truly impact a life by volunteering. Agencies are always looking for a helping hand. There are numerous of ways to volunteer. Use your gifts and talents to truly make a difference. Check out the volunteer page to learn more information about volunteering in our community.

Encourage businesses to hire people who are homeless. One of the quickest ways to end homelessness is to find suitable work. Encourage businesses that you shop in or visit frequently to hire qualified workers who have fallen into homelessness. Remember, the customer is always right!

Offer professional skills directly or assist in job training. Agencies and service providers are in need of professionals who can train people in fields, such as secretarial, accounting, medical, dentistry, management, carpentry, public relations, fundraising, legal, plumbing, writing, literacy, child care, catering, and counseling. Volunteers are also needed for tutoring and mentoring.

Create fundraising opportunities. Host a banquet or gala. Ask your group to abstain from one meal per week and donate the proceeds to a shelter or soup kitchen. Sponsor a benefit concert or coffee house featuring local musicians and poets, even talented homeless and formerly homeless performers! Organize a walk-a-thon, a canned food drive, or a yard sale and donate the proceeds.

Encourage businesses to invest financially. Again, you as an advocate for the homeless and a patron of their business hold tremendous influence. Investing to end homelessness in our community gives businesses good publicity, generates more business and encourages their shoppers to spend more money, makes them eligible for tax incentives, and builds rapport within the community.

D - Donate Goods and Services

In addition to advocacy and investing in our community, donating goods and services is essential to the day-to-day vitality of our agencies. People who are homeless are always in need of things. Here is a list of some things that most shelters need.

Personal Hygiene Items

• Soaps in individual travel sizes or large bottles
• Hand/body lotion in individual travel bottles or large bottles
• Shampoo and conditioners in individual travel sizes
• Cosmetics, nail polish, remover
• Q-tips, cotton balls
• Toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouth wash
• Hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, band aids, bandages
• Disposable razor, shave cream, aftershave
• Baby powder, baby shampoo, lice shampoo, baby oil
• Perfume, cologne, body spray
• Spray cans of deodorant, foot powder
• Denture cleaner, adhesive
• Hair spray, Hair gel
• Towels, wash cloths
• Toilet tissue, facial tissue

Clothing

• T-shirts, pullovers, sweatshirts in winter
• Street shoes, boots
• Pants and jeans, shorts in summer
• Baby diapers in all sizes
• Socks
• Ball caps, sun hats in summer
• Underwear
• Gloves and ear caps in winter
• Women's tops, pants, bras

Other Items

• Blankets, sheets
• Large trash bags
• Cleaning supplies for floors, windows, toilets, and rubber gloves
• Paper towels, napkins, Styrofoam coffee cups
• Laundry detergent, fabric softener
• Air freshener, disinfectant spray

Computers and Software - Agencies are always in need of computers, software, and other electronic devices to help bring good and services to those who are homeless.

Books, Textbooks, Magazines

Bus and Train Passes - Transportation is a big obstacle for people who are homeless. You can donate daily, weekly, or monthly passes that can be used for social service or medical appointments, visit family, go to work, etc.

Money - Of course, money is always accepted. The agency will know how to dispense it to best serve the homeless population.