Sometimes it is the little things that make a difference in someone’s life. This can be especially true for a person experiencing homelessness, where not one thing – big or small – can be taken for granted. Most homeless individuals and the various agencies that provide services for them naturally focus on the big things: shelter, food, housing, health care and job training. The enormity of these issues often leaves little room (or funding) to provide other necessities that may be deemed less critical. These items rarely make “top of mind” because most of us simply take them for granted.
While Circle the City is focusing on the big issues such as health care and medical respite, we also believe it is important to do our part in providing the little things to help brighten someone’s day. Many of these types of everyday necessities are listed on our Client Wish List. Clean socks and underclothing or a new pair of athletic shoes are not going to change the world, but they do make a big difference in the life of someone who has no way to obtain them.
In addition to the items on our wish list, Circle the City works closely with the case management staff at the HCH Clinic in order to help clients with unusual or one-time needs that cannot be met through the Clinic’s grant funding. Examples of items Circle the City has funded include:
- bus tickets to reunite homeless persons with their families;
- gas cards for clients just starting jobs; and
- fees for documents such as birth certificates or identification cards.
Without valid identification documents, it is virtually impossible for anyone dealing with homelessness to obtain a job, complete a housing application, or qualify for government assistance. Once a person is able to legally establish their identity, they can often begin the first steps on the road back to self-sufficiency.