The Bowery Mission On How You Can Help the Homeless This Winter

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — As temperatures start to drop, and with a forecast for snow Thursday night, it's hard not to wonder about one of the city's most vulnerable populations — the homeless.

The Bowery Mission at 227 Bowery has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879. In addition to residential programs for men and women, it provides three meals a day seven days a week, showers and clean clothing on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a food and clothing pantry.

A woman named Cherylann, who declined to give her last name because "it's not about me," told Patch that she's been volunteering at the Bowery Mission for 14 years and knows that its numbers always go way up in the winter months.

"People are more hungry, or want a warm place to sit for a while," she says. When its very cold, the Mission provides emergency shelter for men to stay the night. It also has a chapel where people can stay during the day "when it's bitter cold." And "everyone is welcome" for meals there — you don't have to provide ID or any other information.

"Winter season feels extra-long when you are living on the streets or sleeping in a subway car," reads the Bowery Mission's website. "There is a big risk of hypothermia just from staying outside for such long periods of time."

But what can an ordinary person do to help the homeless this winter? The staff at the Bowery Mission has some suggestions.

Tip #1: Acknowledging and engaging with the homeless people you may encounter on the street or subway can do a lot, according to the Bowery Mission's website. "Say a simple hello. Talk to them and engage in a simple conversation." Remember that people become homeless through a variety of different ways, and no one's story is the same. In general, it's important to keep in mind that you should ask people if they would like help, and what you can do, before offering them some form of help they may not want or need.

Tip #2: That being said, you can carry gift cards for food chains or grocery stores in your wallet and offer them to homeless people you may encounter. "This way you will be helping your homeless neighbor get something to eat, as well as the opportunity to get out of the street and rest inside a store or restaurant." You can also carry small items like granola bars. "Besides food, a small bottle of water helps prevent dehydration, a common health concern for the homeless community."

Tip #3: Check if you have winter clothes or gear that you don't use anymore or that you don’t use that often. If you have "a pair of winter gloves, a scarf in a color you don’t like anymore, a knit hat that you got for free at a game or event," you can "carry one at a time and give it away to someone you see living on the streets." You can also donate winter items to The Bowery Mission or another clothing pantry near you.

Tip #4: Finally, you can print out these resource cards from The Bowery Mission. Depending on where you see homeless people, you can give them a card and invite them to come to The Bowery Mission to get help.

Image via The Bowery Mission