How to help people experiencing homelessness this Christmas

by Ella Chisholm

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for a lot of us - but unfortunately for those experiencing homelessness, the festive period can be particularly difficult. There are fewer support services available, and the cold weather can be brutal for anyone living on the streets.

At SpareRoom we believe that everyone should have somewhere they can call home. Home is so important, not only for our physical and mental wellbeing, but also for our dignity and security. So, here are some ideas you can implement this Christmas to help:

Connect someone to help

You can make a referral through the Streetlink website or call 0300 500 0914 to send an alert if you’ve seen someone sleeping rough who you’re concerned about (in England and Wales), and connect them with local help services. It’s really easy to use - you just need to give details of their specific location, times you’ve seen them, and any details about their appearance.

Donate your unwanted clothes

Thinking of refreshing your wardrobe before the new year? Your old jumpers, jackets, socks, hats and gloves could be really valuable to someone who’s sleeping rough at this time of year.

The Salvation Army has clothing banks across the country where you can drop these off, or give them to a Shelter shop near by.

Donate Food

So much of Christmas centres around food, yet those experiencing homelessness often struggle to afford to eat. Local food banks provide a lifeline for so many people facing hardship, and are really simple to donate to. The Trussel website has a search function which will show you your nearest food bank, as well as a list of what items they’re most in need of. Keep an eye out at your local supermarket too, as they usually have a food donation box for local charities near the tills.

Have a chat

Sleeping rough is an isolating experience, made worse by the amount of people that ignore the homeless people they walk past each day. Taking a few moments out of your day to have a chat can make a real difference to someone. A smile can go a long way.

Enter Live Rent Free

SpareRoom runs a monthly Live Rent Free prize draw where we pay for one person’s rent for the month. We also match the amount and donate it to Crisis to support their work to end homelessness in the UK. So far, we’ve donated £91,469.65! Just by entering Live Rent Free, you're helping those in need the most. Enter next month's competition here.

Volunteer or donate to Crisis

Every Christmas, Crisis brings warmth, companionship and vital services to homeless people, in addition to their year-round services. By donating to Crisis at Christmas you could help someone take their first steps out of homelessness for good. For £29.80, you can provide someone:

  • Help with a safe place to stay
  • Hot meals and a Christmas dinner
  • Access to health and wellbeing programmes
  • Support to leave homelessness behind for good

If you’ve got the time to spare over the festive period (or another time!) you can also volunteer for Crisis here: https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/