Caring for the Homeless

April 30th, 2017

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40

**This is the day of Confirmation so attendance might be light.**

Outline:

5:30-6:30pm: Youth Mass

6:30-7:00pm: Snacks, icebreaker, opening prayer in dining room

7:00-7:10pm: Introduction to the night

7:10-7:25pm: Privilege walk

7:25-7:40pm: Causes and solutions

7:40-7:45pm: The Homeless in Dallas

7:45-8:30pm: Small Groups OR Kids Against Hunger Packing Event

**If we have not collected enough money for Kids Against Hunger we will do the small group discussions on the attached sheet.**

What Devyn Will Prepare:

Supplies for Homeless bags or small group sheets
Videos queued up and ready to play
Bullhorn for privilege walk (if we do it outside)
Pictures or a video of “The Cottages at Hickory Crossing”

What the Team Needs to Prepare:

Team member to lead introduction
Team member to lead the Privilege Walk activity
1-2 Team members to lead the Causes and Solutions section
Team member to share their experience helping the homeless in Dallas (if time needs to be filled)
Team members to organize and direct the Kids Against Hunger meal packing event (if we can do the activity.)

April 30th, 2017

Caring for the Homeless

**This is the day of Confirmation so attendance might be light.**

Outline:

5:30-6:30pm: Youth Mass

6:30-7:00pm: Snacks, icebreaker, opening prayer in dining room

7:00-7:10pm: Introduction to the night

Say the following in your own words:
Many times we make assumptions about homeless people. We assume they are drug addicts, we assume they are lazy and we assume that they just want to live off of other people.
However, many times that isn’t the story. They have skills and talents.
Sometimes they just have bad luck. Sometimes they have a mental illness. Many times they have suffered abuse.
Nearly 25% of homeless people are veterans
1.5 million children are homeless each year.
The face of homelessness is not what we assume.
Show the video “4 Myths About Homelessness/ Rethink Homelessness Vlog” by Rethink Homelessness [1:05]

7:10-7:25pm: Privilege walk

Teens will move to the gym or to the back parking lot, depending on space. They will be directed to move forwards or backwards if different accounts of privilege applies to them.
The full activity is found on the attached sheet

7:25-7:40pm: Causes and solutions

Ask the teens if they were surprised about where they were standing once the privilege activity ended.
Remind the teens that a lot can cause someone to be homeless. A huge amount of people in this country are one paycheck away from living on the streets.
Homeless scenarios:
Tell the teens that to think about some complications that come from being homeless you will now read difference scenarios that a homeless person faces. Each teen will have to choose an option that will be designated by moving to a certain side of the room.
You are currently in an abusive relationship. You have no friends or family around. Do you spend the night tonight in your abusive home (left side of the room) or on the streets (right side of the room)
You are trying to apply for a job but you don’t have a stable place to live. Do you make up an address (left side of the room) or decide not to apply for the job (right side of the room)
You know it’s illegal to live on the streets but the shelters are full for the night do you risk going to jail (left side of the room) or knock on random doors asking to stay there (right side of the room)
You are really sick and you have no health insurance. Do you go to the hospital and risk a huge medical bill (left side of the room) or go to jail and hope they can take care of you (right side of the room)
Would you rather spend the night in jail (left side of the room) or on the streets (right side of the room)
Watch the video “Housing First Impact” by Emily Johnson [5:54]

7:40-7:45pm: The Homeless in Dallas

Show the teens pictures of “The Cottages at Hickory Crossing”
Tell them that there are organizations working on “Housing First” initiatives in Dallas.
If time is needed share briefly your experience with helping the homeless in Dallas
At the Dallas Life Homeless Shelter or elsewhere.

7:45-8:30pm: Small Groups OR Kids Against Hunger Meal Packing

**If we have not collected enough money for Kids Against Hunger we will do the small group discussions on the attached sheet.**

April 30th, 2017

Caring for the Homeless

Small Groups

Welcome the teens and invite them to take their seats
Take attendance
Discuss overall thoughts of the night
What interested you? What surprised you?
Did anything make you uncomfortable? Why?
Discussion Questions
What did you think about the videos tonight?
Have you ever made assumptions about homeless people? What were they?
Have you ever helped a homeless person? What did you do?
How can you take what you learned tonight and apply it to your life?
What can your small group do to share this knowledge with others?
Talk about how your small group’s theme can relate to the topic tonight.
Share with the teens that they can make Glove Box bags at home to keep in their car to hand out to homeless people when they see them.
Pass out the Veteran’s Site Article
If you have time read it as a class and discuss the points that it makes about what is helpful to give to a homeless person
Close in prayer
Have a teen lead the class with the following prayer:

Hear our prayer today for all women and men, boys and girls who are homeless this day.

For those sleeping under bridges, on park benches, in doorways or bus stations.

For those who can only find shelter for the night but must wander in the daytime.

For families broken because they could not afford to pay the rent.

For those who have no relatives or friends who can take them in.

For those who have no place to keep possessions that remind them who they are.

For those who are afraid and hopeless.

For those who have been betrayed by our social safety net.

For all these people, we pray that you will provide shelter, security and hope.

We pray for those of us with warm houses and comfortable beds

that we not be lulled into complacency and forgetfulness.

Jesus, help us to see your face in the eyes of every homeless person we meet

so that we may be empowered through word and deed,

and through the political means we have,

to bring justice and peace to those who are homeless. Amen

Make Sure To READ THIS Before Making Care Packages For The Homeless!

Hopefully one day we won’t have any homeless vets, or homeless people at all. In the meantime, having a few care packages to hand out is a great way to help out, and can be a fun group project for your family, church group, or book club!

TOILETRIES

Include This:Baby wipes, lip balm, lotion, sunscreen
Not This:Soap, hand sanitizer, mouthwash

A common mistake a lot of well-intentioned people make, is to put smelly soaps and lotions in the same container as food. Unfortunately, this makes everything taste and smell like soap. So, the first tip is to separate toiletries from food items. In fact, leave the soap out all together. Anywhere homeless people have access to showers will have soap they can use as well. Opt instead for baby wipes. Anything including alcohol, such as hand sanitizer and mouthwash, should also be left out.

FOOD

Include This:Applesauce, pudding cups, trail mix, beef jerky
Not This:Crunchy granola bars, sticky food or candy

The thing to keep in mind when including food, is that our friends living on the street don’t have regular access to dental care, so usually softer snacks are preferred over sticky and crunchy snacks. Strangely enough, however, the most sought after food item is beef jerky. Probably because it contains a ton of long-lasting protein, and fills you up! A variety of snacks to choose from is always nice, and most times they can trade for what they like.

MISC. ITEMS

Include This:Travel coffee mugs, gift cards, socks, band aids
Not This:Cash, used items, shampoo, religious literature

When you travel by foot, clean, warm socks are always a welcomed gift! Travel coffee mugs are a great gift too, and will get the recipient a discount on refills. Including used items give the impression that this is your hand-me-down, and that the person who receives it isn’t good enough for a new [pair of socks, coffee cup, fill-in-the-blank]. Including a tract, or a Bible verse may seem like a kind gesture, but ultimately, unless you are going to be there for these people every day, it can seem trite, and unhelpful. Instead, if you are the religious type, take time to get to know the people you are handing out care packages too, and ask if they would feel comfortable praying with you.

PRESENTATION

Do This:Hand deliver, smile, go in groups, stay and chat
Not This:Throw out of your car, go alone

Aside from all of the physical challenges of getting food and shelter, homeless people are largely ignored and looked down upon. They are people, too! Take time to have a conversation with the people you are giving care packages to. You might be surprised at how similar their story is to your own, and how one misfortune landed them on the street. You will be blessing them more than you know just by giving them the respect and attention they deserve.