Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai’s Post

As the weather turns colder, the challenges faced by the homeless population grow more urgent—both nationally and here in Warren and Washington Counties. This crisis touches our community deeply, and now, more than ever, we need to act. Many individuals experiencing homelessness are hesitant to seek help due to shame, judgment, misinformation, or lack of access to essential services. Our outreach specialists are tirelessly working every day to provide critical support—whether it’s finding shelter, accessing food, or staying warm during these frigid months. To help meet these urgent needs, we are seeking: - Blankets - Water bottles, - HotHands Hand Warmers - Wipes - Granola/cereal bars We need the community’s support to ensure these efforts succeed. Visit our Walmart Wishlist today to help make an impact. Giving a little helps a lot. https://lnkd.in/egCCn7mx Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most. #CommunitySupport #Outreach #Homelessness #CommunityImpact #EndofYear #Contribute #GiveBack #SeasonofGiving #Gratitude #CommunityInvolvement #Wishlist #MakeADifference #MentalHealth

I recently had the opportunity to be part of the organizing crew for a sleep-out as part of the Anglicare Ambassadors program, raising awareness and support for homelessness. We spent the night on a rooftop, waking up at 3 AM after a simple dinner of soup and bread. As part of the experience, we ran an interactive game that imitated the struggles homeless people face—scrambling for food and basic resources. It was eye-opening, but it also reinforced a critical point. While these events are powerful for raising awareness, they also serve as a reminder that we need to go further. Awareness is important, but without real, direct action, it falls short of creating the meaningful change that’s desperately needed. Sleeping out on a roof, with just a sleeping bag, may give us a small glimpse into the harsh reality of homelessness, but it’s not enough. We need more sustained, impactful efforts to address the root causes and truly make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness. I’ve joined this program to contribute to those efforts and hope to see more initiatives that go beyond awareness—ones that truly impact our communities for the better. #HomelessnessAwareness #DirectImpact #AnglicareAmbassadors #CommunitySupport #MakingADifference #CharityWork #EndHomelessness #SocialChange #ActionForGood

With support from Energy Trust of Oregon, the City of Beaverton incorporated energy-efficient features like an efficient heating and cooling system, solar panels, LED lighting and more - reducing operating costs and ensuring comfort for residents year-round. These upgrades stretch budgets further, enabling cities to tackle critical challenges like housing while addressing the growing impacts of climate change.   By building with climate and energy in mind, Beaverton is creating a space that’s not only safe and healing today, but resilient for the future. Read the full story in the Oregonian: https://lnkd.in/g8Bngdq2   #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability #ClimateResilience #HousingSolutions #BeavertonOregon

Aviva has launched a meaningful initiative for Movember. In collaboration with Kits for Cause, and Na-Me-Res to support homeless Indigenous men in Toronto. Through this partnership, Aviva has been actively involved in preparing and assembling essential kits filled with personal care items, clothing, and other necessities to support the residents of Na-Me-Res, which provides shelter and services to Indigenous men experiencing homelessness. This initiative not only helps provide immediate relief but also raises awareness about the challenges faced by Indigenous communities. By working with Kits for Cause, Aviva is playing a key role in fostering a sense of dignity and care for these individuals, all while contributing to a broader conversation about men’s health, wellness, and community support. #Aviva #AvivaCanada #KitsforCause Mary Chedumbarum-Ramasamy Lana Manoharan @karen McKenzie

Compassion for the homeless This morning, I had the privilege of helping out at Truro Homeless Action Group for Veggie Friday, alongside the brilliant Nigel Unwin and Sarah Wetherill. It’s always heartening to see familiar faces and be part of something that makes a tangible difference in the community. Every morning, the team of volunteers provide a cooked breakfast to those in need - a small gesture, but one that means so much. Whilst serving today, I had the chance to hear Nigel’s inspiring vision for his CIC, Garden Share - which aims at maintaining volunteered gardens in the community and the plan going forward is to grow enough local food to help feed those in need. His determination to create sustainable change is truly inspiring. At the breakfast club today, we welcomed a mix of clients. One gentleman came in soaking wet, his sleeping bag and clothes drenched, yet he remained in good spirits. Another arrived stressed after liquids spilt in his rucksack, but found a moment of respite with us. Many came into the kitchen to personally thank us, their vulnerability and gratitude shining through. It was humbling to witness. Moments like these remind me that we must approach others with compassion, even when they’re angry or frustrated. Sometimes, their actions reflect the immense challenges they face rather than who they are. A bit of understanding, a kind word, or simply listening can make an enormous difference to someone at their lowest. For most of us, having a roof over our heads is something we take for granted. Let’s practise gratitude for what we have and reserve judgement for those who don’t. You never know the battles someone might be fighting. If we all extend a little more compassion, imagine how much brighter the world could be. #Compassion #Community #Gratitude #TruroHomelessActionGroup #endingfoodpoverty #volunteers

Supporting Vulnerable Families Helping those in need this winter ☃️❄️☃️ "Over the twenty years that I’ve worked on Shelter’s emergency helpline, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve picked up the phone to a parent who’s terrified that they and their families will be forced out onto the streets. Things weren’t always this bad. It used to be unusual to hear from people in well-paid jobs struggling with their rent or facing homelessness and use of foodbanks was rarely reported. Now, both are widespread and every second call we receive at Shelter is from someone at crisis point - a large chunk of these are families with children. In fact, this winter, a devastating record of 161,000 children will spend Christmas homeless in temporary accommodation. The problem is that for decades we’ve lost more social homes than we’ve built. Throw in a pandemic, a cost of living crisis and sky-high rents, and we now see record levels of people facing homelessness." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eJnqxnJw #educationchoicesmagazine #educationcornerpodcast #choices #independentschools #equality #diversity #inclusion #Shelter #winter #homelessness #costofliving #vulnerablefamilies

Most of us on LinkedIn may not need to worry about our personal homelessness, but it is a major issue for all to confront. As much of the U.S. has been facing a winter blast, consider those who are facing homelessness. Is your community, state, country doing enough to provide for those who are homeless? #homelessness #winterprovisions #homelessadvocacy #homelessadvocates #governance #localgovernment #stategovernment #federalgovernment https://lnkd.in/dGfnbhSn

Join the conversation!

Did you know it takes 80 years for a crisp packet to decompose? Did you know that 150 of them can be ironed together and turned into a survival blanket for a homeless person and will help to keep their sleeping bag dry and insulated? The Iron Man Frome is doing exactly that! So we are collecting ours to help the cause and have boxes in each of our offices to collect washed packets to send. Read more about The Iron Man Frome if you would also like to help, not just the environment but also the homeless: https://lnkd.in/ezTxxSEi #sustainability #community #environment

Nationwide, more children live in the state of homelessness than in most American states. This is why our work here at Safe Haven is more important than ever before. Last year we served 332 families, which included 758 children. Per data from the National Center for Homeless Education, the number of children experiencing homelessness during the 2021-2022 school year nationwide was greater than the total number of children in 28 states. Nearly 1.2 million children were either literally homeless (living in a shelter, or in unsheltered locations such as a car or tent) or doubled-up (sharing housing with friends or family beyond a unit’s designated capacity). Read more: https://lnkd.in/gHGzMmkZ