Ten Ways to Help End Homelessness in Cumberland County, NJ

TEN WAYS TO HELP END HOMELESSNESS IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ!

1. DONATE MONEY. A donation of any amount is appreciated to help support the transition of people experiencing homelessness. A donation of $10 per month would greatly assist our efforts in ending chronic homelessness in Cumberland County. Here are some examples of where your donation can go:
   • Provide a new full-size bed (frame, mattress, box spring)- $300
   • Provide an Apartment Starter Kit- $145
   • Provide one night of transitional housing- $50
2. PROVIDE WELCOME HOME KITS. Gather about 6-8 people to collect new or gently used items to equip our homeless neighbor’s new home and then help with the move-in preparations.
3. ADOPT-A-HOMELESS. Your group (church, company, club, etc.) can provide a supportive community to people experiencing homelessness as they are transitioning from homelessness to getting their lives on a firm footing.
4. GIFT CARDS. You can donate $25 gift cards to Walmart or local supermarkets which will be distributed by the Housing First Collaborative on a weekly basis to help get our clients stabilized.
5. CLOTHING.  The lack of clean, well-fitting clothes and shoes causes great hardship beyond exposure to the elements—it hurts one's self-image and one's chance to get ahead.  People experiencing homelessness must travel light, with few opportunities to safely store or adequately clean what they can't carry. On job interviews, a poorly dressed person has little chance for success. Give your clean clothes to those who could use them. For more information on clothing donations, please visit: www.faithinactioncentral.com.
6. RAISE FUNDS FOR THE M25 INITIATIVE. Ask your group to abstain from one meal and donate the proceeds to M25. Sponsor a benefit concert or coffee house featuring local musicians and poets (Don’t forget to include homeless and formerly homeless performers!). Organize a walk-a-thon or a yard sale and donate the proceeds. Start a crowdfunding site (e.g. Razoo, GoFundMe) to donate to the M25 (for more information on the best sites go to: https://www.youcaring.com/blog/2013/which-fundraising-site-has-the-lowest-fees). Attend our annual October Fundraising Breakfast and March Sock Hop (www.m25events.com).
7. FOLLOW LOCAL POLITICS AND EDUCATE YOUR LEADERS. Attend neighborhood and public meetings and speak up in favor of low-income housing, group homes, shelters, and homelessness prevention programs. 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. Write letters to the editor and editorials on the topic of homelessness.
8. MENTOR. You can help those experiencing homelessness by training individuals for employment.
9. JOB OPPORTUNITIES. Encourage your company, school, or place of worship to hire people experiencing homelessness (if they are not already working). Most unemployed homeless adults desperately want to work, but need an employer to give them a chance. 
10. SMILE. Whether or not you choose to give, please don’t look away from homeless people as if they do not exist.  Making eye contact, saying a few words, or smiling can reaffirm the humanity of a person at a time when homelessness seems to have stripped it away.

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