What do homeless people want and need? What do they think are the solutions for their lives?

On 3/15/2008 this physician was led to visit the scene of the aftermath of a large tornado devastating downtown Atlanta and met a homeless Desert Storm Veteran (M.B.) wandering in the ruins after having just witnessed the tornado uproot steel lamp posts along the streets he had called home.  When asked what he needed, M.B. said he needed to go to where his mom lived, which was in Covington Georgia.  We gathered up the few remaining belongings that he had from among all the debris and drove east on I-20 toward Covington. Along the way, M.B. said he was hungry which reassured this physician that the Desert Storm Veteran was recovering from the shock of witnessing the destruction of the place he had called home. They stopped at a roadside eatery and purchased 14 ounces of food for M.B. and 10 oz for HeartDoc Andrew. Despite not having eaten for 3 days, M.B. could only eat 7 ounces while this physician finished his meal of 10 ounces. M.B. clearly was not fully recovered from his ordeal.  He would not fully recover until he had a home. They left the restaurant with a bag containing M.B.'s uneaten leftover food and again headed east toward Covington. By the time they arrived at his mom's apartment home, it was dark and HeartDoc Andrew said he wished they would both be hungrier explaining to them that this means wishing that they would both be healthier. A few months later, HeartDoc Andrew got a call from M.B. who reported that he is now gainfully employed as a carpenter and he had to call to make sure that his meeting this physician was not a dream.

HeartDoc Andrew

678-698-1048

I don't usually give contact information to people I help but I started giving my online contact info. My nonprofit is for safety awareness and connection. We are connected to the homeless and we need to use safety awareness as much as we can. I gave out ponchos and scarves to 3 homeless people, a dog, and a scarf to a handicapped man getting on a bus. I try to give things that are visual so the people can be seen. White or yellow or something with a light color so they are not hit by cars. No one says no to this.

Does anyone else have experience with homeless people and what they need and want?

Charlotte, it really depends on what kind of help is rendered.  The boldness and courage required to return a homeless person back to family easily carries over to going all the way and giving contact information to them 

Be hungrier,

HeartDoc Andrew

678-698-1048

Yes my friend I need your help and advises.Am Mawejje Joseph from Uganda ,Am the Director of The GENERATION YOUTH UGANDA. But we face a problem of people who can support our vision. you can visit our website http://www.mawejjejoseph.webs.com

Mawejje, how are you helping the homeless in Uganda?

P.S. You should fix your signature unless you really think you are God:)

I just looked at the website that Am Mawejje has. Homelessness is included, but not for North America! And it looks like he was cut off when he ended with "God."

Do you have any questions about homelessness in the USA, Am Mawejje?

What one thing could we do to help? I filled out the survey for Toyoto, and hope that helps.

Your English is better than my African language ability, but if you ask for something clearly, it will help you.

Wow, this need to be spread here in Arizona as well!!

I talked to Wes Talon, the Douglas county  PR person, and he said that a lot of people live in the woods and won't accept help to get a home and enter society again.

Are the folks living in the woods possibly in tents/huts/caves really homeless in need of home and society?  If they are like the homeless we have been helping in Atlanta, they know each other, have cellphones that they use and therefore are not socially isolated without society.

Dale Shamim Love at March 2, 2011 at 5:40 PM

Wow, this need to be spread here in Arizona as well!!

Consider this already in Arizona because the IMVC movement is globally directed 

Being homeless is not always bad. Some people who walk across the United States several times like the woman "Peace Pilgrim" did not consider herself homeless. But basically she was. Heart Doc Andrew has made an interesting observation about the social structure of many homeless people being in a society. I agree. Too many homeless are alone. I have met Alan Harris, and he helps with getting resources and has taught United Way how to figure out how to find and get people into shelters they can tolerate. Sometimes it takes a year, and he says not to become discouraged. 

homelessness here in nigeria is intricately woven with poverty,lack of planning , insecurity in moving to new areas,vast waste land is available, but people prefer inner city cluster , because of wanting to among themseves,[society], like you say that cell phones connect you to society,with digital empowerment and proper community police new settlements can come up daily, and businesses  can be persuaded to come with tax incentives and availability of power[electricity] human energy will be easy to source,goverment and private investors, humanitarian org .must then encourage to built affordable homes, charity hostels, land for building house  must come cheaply for the poor

What I have found is that if people have a mentor, they are more likely to go through the process of getting help. Homeless people are more likely to mentor other homeless people because they have been there. Many homeless people are trusting of each other.

People who are caring make a difference too, but finding people who have the time or inclination to help homeless people is the challenge. The Homeless Buddy Kit was effective in giving a man resources for help, and a woman who stopped to help him an idea that would help homeless relatives who were staying with her. She will use the help she received to help the man who gave her the initial information.

The little kit I was talking about was paper, a pen, and a flyer with information of resources. Here in the USA, from United Way. What are the resources where you live?

A tent may be like a band aid. I couldn't give a flamable tent to a man who smokes and is an alcoholic. So he won't get a tent to sleep in. He did get a flyer from United Way. He won't use it, even with a pen and paper. He may not relize that there are free groups for alcohol rehab.  Churches may not want to give anything to help a homeless person out. I have been talking about the Evangehats and the looms to make hats in 30 minutes of less. A Girls Scout Troup is making them for a clothes closet/food pantry ministry at Hiram United Methodist Church in Hiram, Georgia.