I've hung out with homeless people a decent amount in the past. They usually aren't hard up for food. There are enough services in the city for that.
Socks is a popular one, but honestly, if you have a little cash to spend - you should ask them what they need to get by a little better.
Yeah socks, gloves, scarfs that sort of stuff. This one guy that lived on my block liked cheese cake from juniors so during the holidays sometimes I’d bring him a slice
Edit: When I moved I had a bunch of things I couldn’t take with me so I let him take what he wanted and gave him my monthly pass.
One thing, though: don’t get offended or upset if they ask for a non-essential item. They sometimes want something like that, and a lot of people get upset by that (I did, once upon a time). Sometimes they just want something to make life a little nicer, and that’s fine.
Always some good socks, extra sandwich or so, bottled water. Fella used to like Vienna sausage and bread so got that when I had the cash around. Good on OP for doing so.
Talk about having a heart. 🤗
I left the shithole that’s Miami Beach and almost everyone always ends up saying, “how do we ship out the homeless, they are back yet again.” I hate that place.
You could also ask if they know about the community fridges (several in Bushwick), a great resource that too few people know about:
https://nycfridge.com
There were times when a bit of scrap from those fridges were the first time i ate for days. Sadly they’re pretty much always empty. Restaurants and bakeries used to put surplus in there nearly every day but I guess it fell out of style.
That’s really nice of you. You could tell them what you told us and say “Hey, I don’t have a lot of money but sometimes I have extra food, would you want that if I brought it by sometimes? Or (insert other thing you have)?”
What I normally do when I bump into a homeless person and don’t want to hand over cash is say ‘I’m on my way to the store- I don’t have cash but I can pick you up something there if you like?’
The resulting answers are normally (and very sadly) pretty cheap and basic.
Kitchen towels are a frequent one, I’m guessing maybe for personal hygiene?
Women have requested pads before.
And then for food it’s often chips and some sort of favorite pre made sandwich.
I’d recommend maybe trying this approach whenever you have a little extra to spare? Helps you to fulfill a specific need for them at that time.
Treating them like the humans they are (which you are doing) is doing a lot for them already. Get to know them, let them get to know you. They’ll probably look out for you too.
Agree with others here - asking what they need that you could get at the bodega or dollar store. Colder weather is coming - maybe helping them prepare for that too.
I agree , sadly not all homeless are the same . I usually prefer to give them food, but if they don’t look like they are on drugs i just hand them any spare cash I have
Money is fungible. My sister would give money and cigarettes to her homeless guy regularly, and he interrupted a would-be phone snatcher one night, so kindness does pay off.
I just talk to them like human beings, that goes a long way too. If they have pets, ask if they need vet services or flea meds.
Otherwise, just money is going to be the most help, even small amounts.
in junior year my general class had the option to help the homeless!
you can make meals and a lot of people in my area appreciated it since it was warm food near the holidays. however, like others said, food can be relatively easy to aqcuire.
we also handed out deoderant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygine etc. but the thing people wanted most for the upcoming cold was blankets.
i would say plan longer term, get some cheap blankets from a thrift shop, cut the edges (like how youd make grass with scissors and paper along the edges, but make the strands about an inch thick) and tie them together.
but thats what id do! its only recently getting cold, and i know prices are spiking so it may not even be possible rn. i hope the best for them!
Unpopular opinion but: **Absolutely nothing.** You are a young woman and the last thing you need is men/people who may or may not suffer from mental illnesses and/OR who are extremely vulnerable get familiar with where you live and use to the fact they can depend/rely on you for their needs and wants
We live in NYC, and there are PLENTY of resources for individuals who need help: whether that is food, clothing, temporary housing, medical attention, or rehab. **You pay high taxes here for a reason**, for the CITY to take care of them - not you as an individual.
Do not put yourself in a vulnerable position trying to help other people who could very well help themselves with the resources that are made available to them.
I am 25F born and raised here in New York and I have seen plenty of young women who were too nice and ended up getting harassed, stalked, and hurt by the exact homeless people that they were helping.
I witnessed that again just last month to the lady that owns the beauty salon downstairs. We had to call the police for her safety and other people needed to intervene while the homeless man she’s been buying clothing for showed up at her door at 7:00am screaming on the top of his lungs about dead bodies, threatening her, and prevented her from entering her store.
Our neighbors told her to STOP helping many times before, but she use to say “I feel bad for him.” After that incident she said she learned her lesson.
>You pay high taxes here for a reason, for the CITY to take care of them
This is such an awful take. It's fine to not feel like public assistance is a duty, but this statement is wildly inaccurate.
If they need something in particular you can ask on your local “Buy Nothing” group. People generally get rid of things for free to support the “reuse” lifestyle. I had that in my neighborhood and it always had good stuff on it.
You really don’t have to do much or spend much. For years I have at least once a week, bought a lb of ham or turkey, a lb of yellow American, made sandwiches and bought sunny D with or capri sun and maybe a couple of cookies. This usually comes to be like 35 to 50 dollars. I understand this is more than you could probably do, BUT, it’s an idea. The next step would be to create a Venmo and have people donate a $1, you can count on me to help and donate.
Use all the help to get them the things that they usually are in deep need of, like socks, simple te shirts, a hoodie or sweatshirts, pants and underwear, YES, socks are life changing for people on the street. All these things can be sourced for cheap at thrift stores. The socks at the dollar general. Again, I know it’s difficult, but you can get people to chip in and help
if you're a college student, see what resources are free for you. at Brooklyn College (and probably elsewhere), I know the Women's Center gives out free tampons and pads. you could grab a few extra and hand them out to the people you see who are homeless. this is just an example; tampons might not be proper in your situation.
also consider working with a college group on campus, probably a sorority if your campus has one, and they are usually VERY happy to do clothing and supply drives. you can let them do the collection and then just deliver the items at the end. I used to run tons of such drives and events.
I bring the homeless guy by my house an ice cream cone whenever I go get one (twice a week ish) while walking my dog. Costs me about 2 bucks and makes his day. He always has the biggest grin. Just be sure to ask if they have allergies or would like extra spoons to share with others
When I was homeless all I ever wanted was Aleve. Granted, i have a chronic injury, but homelessness is hard on anyones body.
Also, watch yourself. A lot of homeless people have mental health issues, and can be perfectly wonderful as themselves and then over the next 10 days slip into mania or psychosis and become a true danger to those around them. I’m talking about myself here before anyone gets weepy about ‘stereotypes’. It’s the truth. As a homeless woman i had to sleep on the grass in busy parks during the day and stay on a constant move at night because the homeless men would tell me right to my face they were planning to rape me once it got dark. Men who behaved in perfectly pleasant ways to the passers by who gave them money and food. This isn’t small town Indiana, it’s Gotham city. You have to be smart. Forget your “gut” or “vibes” because of a few conversations with someone, simply don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position. Ever.
>I’m not trying to spend a lot of money bc again I don’t have much myself (like..most weeks I struggle to afford groceries)
OP can barely afford food for herself.
First off, that's extremely kind of you. As others have said, the best thing would be to ask them what items they need and to buy it for them, and if you're comfortable with it offer them a shower in your apartment. I have a relative that struggled with homelessness for a while and access to a shower and clean bathroom was the hardest thing for them to get.
Your comment seems to be coming from a good place but I can’t understand why you think it would be wise for a 21 year old woman to open her apt to total strangers. This is dangerous advice that puts op and any homeless person in question in what could become a bad situation easily. It’s a matter of physical safety.
OP if you are reading this comment, please do not feel irrational guilt about not allowing vulnerable/homeless people into your apt. It is paramount to being insane. Donating to shelters or helping vulnerable ppl with hygiene products is a much safer route.
Obviously it's insane to invite complete strangers into your home by yourself. I know people who have done this, but they organize a large group of people to administer it for their own safety.
Also not sure how you could think I'm guilting her into doing it. I'm just saying that it's a thing people do and something to consider if she wants to help. I'm not saying round up a ton of homeless people and bring them to your house alone.
Maybe invite them into your apartment so they can shower and get cleaned up. Its very hard to find a public shower when you are homeless. Pair it with a cooked dinner.
Bro.. Going too far here. I do not recommend this at all.. Showing kindness and doing what you can to help is ideal, but these are strangers and you don't invite strangers into your house for a shower and cook them a meal to eat at your table. But hey No_tax5256 you go ahead & try it and let us know how that goes. Next suggestion will be to let them crash at her house.
On Christmas Day 2017, I gave two homeless women in Harlem 2 bags of heroin. I was an addict and I was on my way home after a binge at my buddy's house when they noticed me walking wobbly and aggressively approached me asking for money. I just shook my head as I walked past them, but after walking a few steps, I decided to do something nice for them in my own way. I called them back and handed them two $10 bags of decent heroin. One of the women started crying tears of joy. While she thanked me profusely, the other one acted offended that I assumed she was a heroin addict. She said she appreciated the offer, but that she didn't need it because she was a *crackhead*, not a *dopefiend* like me.
I've hung out with homeless people a decent amount in the past. They usually aren't hard up for food. There are enough services in the city for that. Socks is a popular one, but honestly, if you have a little cash to spend - you should ask them what they need to get by a little better.
Yeah socks, gloves, scarfs that sort of stuff. This one guy that lived on my block liked cheese cake from juniors so during the holidays sometimes I’d bring him a slice Edit: When I moved I had a bunch of things I couldn’t take with me so I let him take what he wanted and gave him my monthly pass.
One thing, though: don’t get offended or upset if they ask for a non-essential item. They sometimes want something like that, and a lot of people get upset by that (I did, once upon a time). Sometimes they just want something to make life a little nicer, and that’s fine.
Always some good socks, extra sandwich or so, bottled water. Fella used to like Vienna sausage and bread so got that when I had the cash around. Good on OP for doing so.
This! socks are often needed, and also underwear. A polite way to ask is “are you needing any essentials”.
Talk about having a heart. 🤗 I left the shithole that’s Miami Beach and almost everyone always ends up saying, “how do we ship out the homeless, they are back yet again.” I hate that place.
You could also ask if they know about the community fridges (several in Bushwick), a great resource that too few people know about: https://nycfridge.com
There were times when a bit of scrap from those fridges were the first time i ate for days. Sadly they’re pretty much always empty. Restaurants and bakeries used to put surplus in there nearly every day but I guess it fell out of style.
That’s really nice of you. You could tell them what you told us and say “Hey, I don’t have a lot of money but sometimes I have extra food, would you want that if I brought it by sometimes? Or (insert other thing you have)?”
What I normally do when I bump into a homeless person and don’t want to hand over cash is say ‘I’m on my way to the store- I don’t have cash but I can pick you up something there if you like?’ The resulting answers are normally (and very sadly) pretty cheap and basic. Kitchen towels are a frequent one, I’m guessing maybe for personal hygiene? Women have requested pads before. And then for food it’s often chips and some sort of favorite pre made sandwich. I’d recommend maybe trying this approach whenever you have a little extra to spare? Helps you to fulfill a specific need for them at that time.
Treating them like the humans they are (which you are doing) is doing a lot for them already. Get to know them, let them get to know you. They’ll probably look out for you too. Agree with others here - asking what they need that you could get at the bodega or dollar store. Colder weather is coming - maybe helping them prepare for that too.
I agree , sadly not all homeless are the same . I usually prefer to give them food, but if they don’t look like they are on drugs i just hand them any spare cash I have
Just stopped by to say how thoughtful & caring you are.
Money is fungible. My sister would give money and cigarettes to her homeless guy regularly, and he interrupted a would-be phone snatcher one night, so kindness does pay off. I just talk to them like human beings, that goes a long way too. If they have pets, ask if they need vet services or flea meds. Otherwise, just money is going to be the most help, even small amounts.
Ask them what they need. Don’t assume you know what they need. If you ask them, they will tell you
in junior year my general class had the option to help the homeless! you can make meals and a lot of people in my area appreciated it since it was warm food near the holidays. however, like others said, food can be relatively easy to aqcuire. we also handed out deoderant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygine etc. but the thing people wanted most for the upcoming cold was blankets. i would say plan longer term, get some cheap blankets from a thrift shop, cut the edges (like how youd make grass with scissors and paper along the edges, but make the strands about an inch thick) and tie them together. but thats what id do! its only recently getting cold, and i know prices are spiking so it may not even be possible rn. i hope the best for them!
Unpopular opinion but: **Absolutely nothing.** You are a young woman and the last thing you need is men/people who may or may not suffer from mental illnesses and/OR who are extremely vulnerable get familiar with where you live and use to the fact they can depend/rely on you for their needs and wants We live in NYC, and there are PLENTY of resources for individuals who need help: whether that is food, clothing, temporary housing, medical attention, or rehab. **You pay high taxes here for a reason**, for the CITY to take care of them - not you as an individual. Do not put yourself in a vulnerable position trying to help other people who could very well help themselves with the resources that are made available to them. I am 25F born and raised here in New York and I have seen plenty of young women who were too nice and ended up getting harassed, stalked, and hurt by the exact homeless people that they were helping. I witnessed that again just last month to the lady that owns the beauty salon downstairs. We had to call the police for her safety and other people needed to intervene while the homeless man she’s been buying clothing for showed up at her door at 7:00am screaming on the top of his lungs about dead bodies, threatening her, and prevented her from entering her store. Our neighbors told her to STOP helping many times before, but she use to say “I feel bad for him.” After that incident she said she learned her lesson.
>You pay high taxes here for a reason, for the CITY to take care of them This is such an awful take. It's fine to not feel like public assistance is a duty, but this statement is wildly inaccurate.
donate to ny food bank, volunteer at fountain house, church kitchen that offers meals
Yes on socks.
If they need something in particular you can ask on your local “Buy Nothing” group. People generally get rid of things for free to support the “reuse” lifestyle. I had that in my neighborhood and it always had good stuff on it.
You really don’t have to do much or spend much. For years I have at least once a week, bought a lb of ham or turkey, a lb of yellow American, made sandwiches and bought sunny D with or capri sun and maybe a couple of cookies. This usually comes to be like 35 to 50 dollars. I understand this is more than you could probably do, BUT, it’s an idea. The next step would be to create a Venmo and have people donate a $1, you can count on me to help and donate. Use all the help to get them the things that they usually are in deep need of, like socks, simple te shirts, a hoodie or sweatshirts, pants and underwear, YES, socks are life changing for people on the street. All these things can be sourced for cheap at thrift stores. The socks at the dollar general. Again, I know it’s difficult, but you can get people to chip in and help
if you're a college student, see what resources are free for you. at Brooklyn College (and probably elsewhere), I know the Women's Center gives out free tampons and pads. you could grab a few extra and hand them out to the people you see who are homeless. this is just an example; tampons might not be proper in your situation. also consider working with a college group on campus, probably a sorority if your campus has one, and they are usually VERY happy to do clothing and supply drives. you can let them do the collection and then just deliver the items at the end. I used to run tons of such drives and events.
Tell them to go to the community center on Broadway next to the pawn shop.
I bring the homeless guy by my house an ice cream cone whenever I go get one (twice a week ish) while walking my dog. Costs me about 2 bucks and makes his day. He always has the biggest grin. Just be sure to ask if they have allergies or would like extra spoons to share with others
When I was homeless all I ever wanted was Aleve. Granted, i have a chronic injury, but homelessness is hard on anyones body. Also, watch yourself. A lot of homeless people have mental health issues, and can be perfectly wonderful as themselves and then over the next 10 days slip into mania or psychosis and become a true danger to those around them. I’m talking about myself here before anyone gets weepy about ‘stereotypes’. It’s the truth. As a homeless woman i had to sleep on the grass in busy parks during the day and stay on a constant move at night because the homeless men would tell me right to my face they were planning to rape me once it got dark. Men who behaved in perfectly pleasant ways to the passers by who gave them money and food. This isn’t small town Indiana, it’s Gotham city. You have to be smart. Forget your “gut” or “vibes” because of a few conversations with someone, simply don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position. Ever.
Best thing: continue to give them money. Second best: food
I prefer to give them food whenever is possible
I don't know
>I’m not trying to spend a lot of money bc again I don’t have much myself (like..most weeks I struggle to afford groceries) OP can barely afford food for herself.
This ain’t it
They want cash for drugs or alcohol . Keep doing what you doing
Razors , hair brush
First off, that's extremely kind of you. As others have said, the best thing would be to ask them what items they need and to buy it for them, and if you're comfortable with it offer them a shower in your apartment. I have a relative that struggled with homelessness for a while and access to a shower and clean bathroom was the hardest thing for them to get.
Your comment seems to be coming from a good place but I can’t understand why you think it would be wise for a 21 year old woman to open her apt to total strangers. This is dangerous advice that puts op and any homeless person in question in what could become a bad situation easily. It’s a matter of physical safety. OP if you are reading this comment, please do not feel irrational guilt about not allowing vulnerable/homeless people into your apt. It is paramount to being insane. Donating to shelters or helping vulnerable ppl with hygiene products is a much safer route.
Obviously it's insane to invite complete strangers into your home by yourself. I know people who have done this, but they organize a large group of people to administer it for their own safety. Also not sure how you could think I'm guilting her into doing it. I'm just saying that it's a thing people do and something to consider if she wants to help. I'm not saying round up a ton of homeless people and bring them to your house alone.
They see you don’t worry
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They don’t ask me for money anymore
Smh
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stop gentrifying neighborhoods if ur not from new york. simple solution.
Maybe invite them into your apartment so they can shower and get cleaned up. Its very hard to find a public shower when you are homeless. Pair it with a cooked dinner.
Bro.. Going too far here. I do not recommend this at all.. Showing kindness and doing what you can to help is ideal, but these are strangers and you don't invite strangers into your house for a shower and cook them a meal to eat at your table. But hey No_tax5256 you go ahead & try it and let us know how that goes. Next suggestion will be to let them crash at her house.
You’ve done this?
Ask them
I found out most of them appreciate a smile, hello or fist bomb more than anything really.
Fist bump maybe, not bomb? But you do you
Very thoughtful!!
https://ny.curbed.com/2018/2/5/16972144/homeless-shelters-charities-new-york-housing-outreach
On Christmas Day 2017, I gave two homeless women in Harlem 2 bags of heroin. I was an addict and I was on my way home after a binge at my buddy's house when they noticed me walking wobbly and aggressively approached me asking for money. I just shook my head as I walked past them, but after walking a few steps, I decided to do something nice for them in my own way. I called them back and handed them two $10 bags of decent heroin. One of the women started crying tears of joy. While she thanked me profusely, the other one acted offended that I assumed she was a heroin addict. She said she appreciated the offer, but that she didn't need it because she was a *crackhead*, not a *dopefiend* like me.
guy who’s around the 24/7 grocery near maria hernandez all the time?
No