The Invisibles

08 Nov The Invisibles

Thanksgiving is an incredible time of family, feasting, Black Friday, and football. It’s also the month we all thought the temps would drop, but it is Texas and obviously, high 80s/low 90s are the norm! November is usually a month we think about the things we are grateful or thankful for. We are all super thankful that Doc Marquis is our dentist! But on a more serious note, we are thankful for the many things we take for granted in life – basic needs – food, clean water, and a roof over our heads. Poverty today is so widespread and to the point that the system is too overburdened to help. Many organizations out there rely on donations and volunteers to help pick up the slack.

What leads to homelessness

Our local schools, grocery stores, TV and radio stations, and churches do massive drives during this month to collect food and other donations for the hungry and poverty stricken in our city. Not all of us can afford to make monetary donations, but there are other ways to help. The following is a list of things we all can do to help:

• Donate new or gently used items
  • Winter clothing
  • Sheets, towels, pillow cases
  • First aid items
  • Hygiene items
  • Bus passes (to help with transportation to job interviews)
  • Professional clothing
• Food
  • Non-perishable items
    • Canned goods
    • Fresh fruits and vegetables (directly to soup kitchens)
• Volunteer
  • At local soup kitchen
  • Shelter
  • Homelessness organization
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Veteran’s Administration Hospital

In Houston and its surrounding cities and counties, the Coalition for the Homeless is a great organization to help you get started in helping our local residents. Though homelessness is a major issue, by everyone donating a little of the time and/or money, it’s a problem that we can tackle and eradicate. Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” So for November, let’s all come together and do great things.