Top Ten Gifts for Homeless People

This is a serious list of the top ten gifts you can give a homeless person, so if you were intrigued by the title and were expecting something ironic, sarcastic, or funny, you won’t be getting what you were looking for. So often we spend all of our time and money during the holidays on ourselves. I walk pasted countless homeless people everyday and but for the grace of God, there go I. It could happen to any of use. So, take a minute or two of your time and maybe a few dollars and give a gift to a homeless person that may change their life, or at least make it a little bit easier.

1. Food – Now, this is an obvious gift, the not so obvious part if what kind of food. Most homeless people don’t have stainless steel fridge they carry along with them. You need to be thoughtful in any food you hand to a homeless person. Buy something that is in a plastic container or bag. This will keep it clean and germ free until eaten. Buy food that is ok being at room temperature for a while. This means, potato salad my not be the way to go, but a box of granola bars would be. 

2. Water- Specifically bottled water is a great and affordable item you can give to a homeless person. We all need water. Sometimes you can find bottled water at the grocery store that has a strap built onto it, so you can sling it over your shoulder. This would be a very thoughtful gift for a homeless person. 

3. Clothing – Specifically jackets. I recently saw a homeless man digging a jacket out of a public trash could about one block form Michigan Avenue. It was a little sad to see the differences between the tourists in town to buy the latest fashions on the Magnificent Mile and the homeless man who was digging out anything he could find just to fight off the chill in the Chicago air. Why not clean out your closet and give away those warm winter jackets that are just gathering dust in your closet?