Alleviating Homelessness

Having been involved with homeless programs in the Fargo-Moorhead community for many years, I present some thoughts here on what someone might wish to do to help alleviate this nationwide problem. It seems incongruent to me that amidst the plenty we have here in America we should still have citizens who have no place to call home.


I know that no one person will or should take on all the suggestions on this list. But most of us can do one or two of these things, maybe even more. Also, I don’t take credit for the list. It is a condensation of something someone else offered up, but it certainly has merit.

Here are some things anyone might consider doing in your own community.

I resolve …
--to warmly greet every homeless person I meet
--to deliver a sermon, lecture or paper on homelessness
--to volunteer on one Habitat for Humanity House
--to meet with my legislators to share facts on homelessness
--to have my organization sponsor an essay contest on homelessness
--to hire a homeless person
--to mentor/tutor a homeless child
--to include people experiencing homelessness in my prayers
--greet warmly every homeless person I meet
--to listen to the facts on homelessness without preconception
--to learn how to make a difference

There’s much to be done to make sure everyone has a safe home, anyone can help make a difference in their community.

Howard Barlow, NRS at Bremer Bank in Fargo