Helping homeless children

It is no secret that millions of people throughout the world live in poverty and many of those people are homeless. As sad as that fact is, what is sadder is that children make up a significant portion of that homeless population.

Being homeless is especially hard on a child. Their current hardships often serve to crush their spirits and quench their dreams. It is tough to create a better life when you have little or no access to food, clothing, shelter or education. Fortunately, there are ways we can help homeless children build a better life for themselves.

Here are some ideas on how you can help a homeless child:

  • Give money.

Multiple charities are devoted exclusively to helping children. Make a list and evaluate which ones are the best at doing it. Research how they spend donations and what services they offer to a child in need. Once you find the right charity, give a donation amount that you think will prove most helpful down the road.

  • Build a relationship.

Giving money is not enough to help a needy child. It is essential to form a bond with them. They need your presence too. Sure, having money will help with their day-to-day survival. But your presence can be much more valuable to them than any amount of money they receive.

  • Be a tutor.

Offer children you are helping educational opportunities. Give them a chance to learn. Some charities do not have enough workers to meet the educational needs of children in their care. You can help by volunteering to teach them basics like math, reading and science. Make learning fun by taking them on field trips to places like the museum or the zoo.

If you commit time and energy to improving the life of a homeless child, you will open a door to a better life they never thought possible.

Filed Under: Charitable organization, Society Tagged With: , ,

Tweets From the Streets

A deceptively simple scheme involving the humble cell phone is running in New York. It gives homeless people the chance to reach out digitally to a world which, when confronted in the flesh, is often uncomprehending or hostile towards their plight.

With no access to the communication methods that most people take for granted, the homeless cannot broadcast their point of view easily. This is why a group of interns at an advertising firm launched their project. Boasting the imaginative title, “Underheard,” the program provides prepaid cell phones to a small number of homeless New York dwellers.

With 24-hour access to the Internet, the subjects who initially received the phones were encouraged to Tweet regularly. After some basic coaching on the ins and outs of tweeting, the newly empowered homeless individuals – all men – soon had their own followers on Twitter. By means of these 140-character messages, a vivid picture began to emerge of the reality of living on the streets in New York City, an environment which contains many dangers, not least from plummeting winter temperatures.

Only modern technology could enable them to reach such a wide audience. One source of statistics – the Youth Service Opportunities Project – reports that an incredible one out of every 20New Yorkers has known homelessness at some time. City authorities report that during 2010, the overall figure for the homeless in New York rose by a staggering 50 percent. Nevertheless, the 21st century has seen lower numbers overall than previous decades.

The advantage of pre paid cell phones hardly needs stating. Underheard’s lucky recipients naturally are at liberty to communicate as they choose. To date, however, each has followed instructions to adopt Twitter, and the upshot is that anyone in any location around the world can tune into the thoughts and impressions of this handful of individuals, who have thus gained the status of minor celebrities.

Filed Under: News, Society Tagged With: , , , ,

Helping Yourself and Helping Others

When we work hard and strive for success, we give ourselves more power with which we can help others.  The wealth and power we create as individuals can be shared and distributed to ensure future generations and individuals can have the same access to opportunity and prosperity as those that came before them.
Unfortunately, one of the basic truths of economics is that of scarcity. Scarcity drives supply which alters demand for any good or service one can think of. The burden of scarcity is that there is only so much to go around and when something is scarce it costs more. Because of this principle it becomes the duty of those who have managed to become successful to help those that are less fortunate through charity and the donation of our time, talents and treasure.  These are the noble purposes of personal accomplishment.
When one is able to rise up–through education, natural talent, creative ideas, or getting an advanced degree (even down to the step of taking a GMAT prep course) and the more lucrative career potential such a degree can unleash–they can then provide an example for others to follow. Not to mention the fact that they free themselves from having to work constantly.  This opens up your life to being able to be more charitable to other people- you can help them to build better homes, you can teach their children the skills they will need for better futures, and most importantly, you can provide a shining example of how important the future really is.
Whether you get to where you are through hard work, natural ability, inheritance or education it is important to remember that there is only so much wealth to go around. You share the world with countless other individuals who have helped you –directly or indirectly—build your wealth, enjoy your wealth, and live a more fulfilling life. It is important to keep that in mind and act on it by being a charitable philanthropist that truly cares about the world around them.
Filed Under: Charities, Society Tagged With: , , ,

Be Part of the Healing through Volunteering

The best kind of counseling and therapy is the kind that extends outside of the office or classroom. It is found in friendships and communities of support. When it comes to children and teenagers recovering from alcohol and substance abuse, this kind of ongoing therapy and attention is key for preventing relapse and regression.

The kind of relationships and community of support teenagers fresh out of rehab need isn’t always found at home or at school. In fact, one of the most important steps of the rehabilitation process for at-risk and recovering youth is in a place called a halfway house. A halfway house is literally that – a step halfway between rehab and the real world. It gives recovering addicts a placebo to get back on their feet without the negative influence that led them into rehab in the first place.

One of the primary reasons that children and teens plummet into substance abuse is because of loneliness and alienation – sometimes even from their own families. What recovering addicts need is not discipline and condescension, but understanding and care. This is the primary mission of halfway homes.

After recovering from an addiction through a rehab center such as Michael’s House, halfway homes are the best option to learn how to adapt to your new lifestyle after drugs or alcohol. If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, visit  MichaelsHouse.com for more information. If it is you, volunteering is a good way to give back to the people who helped you get clean, and even help someone else who is going through the process.

More often than not, halfway homes are always looking for volunteer help. Many of these homes would be unstaffed if it weren’t for volunteers, and the very presence of volunteers communes care from the outset. You can volunteer whether you’ve ‘been there’ or not. The key for helping in halfway homes is being understanding. If you have understanding, a willingness to listen, and the ability to face tough issues head-on with recovering and at-risk youth, than volunteering at a halfway home is a job for you.

You can share from your life experience, help the youth at halfway homes land jobs, rebuild relationships, and kindle new ones. Be part of the healing.

Filed Under: Charities, Society Tagged With: , , ,
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