Giving real help to the homeless

If you spot someone sitting on the footpath with a sign begging for help –of course you feel concerned and want to do something for them.

But you may or may not be looking at a homeless person. You can’t be sure, because many people begging on the streets have somewhere to stay at night.

We at the Christchurch City Mission are on the frontline of looking after homeless and we know who is who, and who needs what, and so supporting our work directly supports these people.

We run an Outreach Service that visits people on the streets and we also have our emergency accommodation quarters for men and women who come off the streets.

Backing that up are our many other services to help them get healthy and into a home.

Homelessness is complicated. It includes people sleeping rough in doorways and under bridges, as well as those who couch surf, or sleep in garages and cars and, of course, the several dozen who find refuge in our shelters.

It can take a long time to build trust and help long-term homeless into better living and their plight is far more lonely and stressful than you can imagine. Sleeping rough is merely a symptom of complicated problems in their lives, such as mental health and addiction issues.

That’s why our advice is to not give money to people you find on the street. For all your kind intentions, it is unlikely to be spent on something positive for their health. But they are part of our wider community, and we should treat them with dignity and kindness.

This is how we recommend you interact with homeless on the streets:

• Don’t give money

• It’s okay to offer food

• It’s kind to make eye contact and say hello

• Call our Outreach Service on 0800 787 855 or email us at outreach@citymission. org.nz if you want to make sure they have been offered help, or if you are a business and they are sleeping outside your premise

• Call 111 if you have serious concerns for their health or that harm may come from their behaviour.

Donate to the Christchurch City Mission to fund staff or donate to their foodbank.