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What do homeless people need? I thought I knew until I discovered “Kathryn” on TikTok. All I really know about her is that she’s been living in a tent for three years. Somehow, she is surviving our long, cold winters. She’s funny, articulate, thoughtful, and kind. It begs the question as to what got her on the streets in the first place. Drugs? Alcohol? Mental illness? I honestly don’t know. Maybe a combination of those things.
Clearly I don’t know everything about Kathryn. All I know is what she’s posted online. She’s in her late 40’s, once worked as a cleaner, has adult children who live nearby (in their own homes), lived in her car for a while, and now lives in a tent.
After posting her whereabouts online, I realized she lived nearby, in a tent park by a cemetery. It was within walking distance and, since she hadn’t posted anything in a while, I wanted to find out what was going on.
What I discovered was shocking.
I’m so naive! I’m not sure what I expected, but certainly not what I saw. Rats scurried under the trash bags piled high against tents, small fires were built where people could warm their hands. They drank something (probably not coffee) from worn Tim Horton’s paper cups, and they were filthy. Some people, likely high or suffering with psychosis of some kind, shouted threats from one side of the encampment.
The only thing that made me feel relatively safe was the heavy wire fence that separated the encampment from the cemetery. I won’t lie. I came close to bolting out of there. Instead, I took a deep breath and asked, “Is there a Kathryn here?”
I held my breath. A few seconds later I heard, “I’m a Kathryn.”
The voice came from the tent closest to the fence. “Would you like me to come out?” she asked. “Yes, please,” I said. Within seconds, she pushed her way past her own pile of debris and came out of her tent. I learned later that she keeps a lot of noisy trash nearby so that she can hear if someone is too close to her tent. It’s her Home Alone version of a safety camera.
She’s a small, emaciated woman, living among homeless, angry, sometimes violent, men. She’s not safe.
How can I help you?
”What do homeless people need?” I asked her. I didn’t use those words exactly. I expected her to say she needed food, warm blankets, or socks.
But it wasn’t any of those things. Instead, she said she needed butane so that she could cook the food she managed to get from the food bank. She needed a manual can opener for the canned food she received and a phone so that she had a means of reaching the world again.
Apparently, the phone she had (the one she used to post TikTok vidoes) had been given to her by her daughter, but it was stolen. Even the “tent” she had was no longer a tent. The men in the encampment ripped it apart and tore it down. All she has now is a blue tarp to sleep under. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that while it’s great to help, it’s important to recognize individual needs. Kathryn says she feels like people want them to “work” for the help. For her, it’s like dangling a cat’s favorite treat just out of reach.
We all have biases toward homeless people. I have them. You have them. It’s easier to think that they got where they are through some enormous deficit of their own. That, somehow, they did something to deserve to be homeless. If we didn’t think like that, we’d realize how any one of us could be that person tomorrow.
What Homeless People Face
Before we can answer the question of what do homeless people need, we have to better understand their circumstances. They don’t have easy access to running water, a refrigerator to keep their food cold, ovens to warm up their food, a toilet or even a tub.
In order for Kathryn to take a shower, she has to walk for miles to the nearest YWCA where she stashes a few things in a locker.
She seems to have developed a network of other homeless friends across the city, but I’m not sure how much they help each other beyond companionship. I say that because I suspect there’s a chain of drug use happening. I used to think that people addicted to hard drugs wound up on the street because of it. And in some cases (probably a lot of cases) that’s true.
I suspect Kathryn has begun doing hard drugs in order to cope with the hopelessness of living on the street. This is just my own opinion, of course.
Here’s What Kathryn Wants You To Know
There’s one thing that Kathryn mentioned that really stuck with me though. She was angry with people coming around to help because they were just dumping packages in the vicinity. It was pouring rain outside and what people (people like you and me) don’t realize is that if they come out of their tents and get wet, they’re wet for a long time.
They can’t go to a nice home and change their clothes. They can’t risk bringing moisture into the tent because they have to sleep in that. Live in that. She also told me that if you back a truck up and leave pallets of food or water, it can (and does) get stolen. When you’re living for survival, you do what you have to survive. That means stealing, reselling items for money, and so on.
Some of the things I see Kathryn, and people like her, dealing with include the following:
Poor Health
Many unhoused people have to rely on emergency rooms as a primary source of medical attention. Unfortunately, if diagnosed with chronic conditions, they often have no money to buy their prescriptions or transportation to get to follow up appointments. Kathryn needs glasses but has no way to make an appointment to see an optometrist. She certainly doesn’t have the means to pay for something like that.
I asked her if she had a social worker, but her answer was vague. I’m not sure what happened there.
Mental illness is another big concern. Unfortunately, mental health services are often inaccessible or inadequate. Kathryn talks about how her family has failed her, but she’s never specific about how. My gut feeling is that she has been through great trauma in her life. The frustrating thing is that there are all issues too big for me to solve for her. The best I can do is provide a homeless care package.
Limited Access to Resources
Homeless individuals often face significant limited access to resources like internet access or reliable transportation. Kathryn was lucky, for a while, because she had a phone with Internet access. Yet, even with the phone I don’t think she used it to reach out for help. Her videos depict her life as being “free” from responsiblities and so on. On one hand she wants help, but on the other hand she refuses it. It’s clearly a complicated issue.
Generally speaking, homeless people don’t have the means to access resources. This can make the application process for disability benefits or supplemental nutrition assistance programs (SNAP) challenging.
For example, accessing resources like health centers, job opportunities, or social services requires internet access or reliable transportation, which is typically out of reach for people without stable housing
Even if you had the opportunity to apply for a job, how would you get to the interview? Where would you go to clean your clothes, shave your face, or brush your teeth?
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions like rain, cold, or extreme heat can worsen living conditions for the homeless.
Unlike individuals with a home to seek refuge in, homeless people do not have the option to “go home to dry off” if their clothes or belongings get wet.
This exposure to the elements increases the risk of hypothermia, heat exhaustion, and other health complications.
Additionally, inadequate clothing and shelter can contribute to poor health and discomfort in these extreme conditions, highlighting the importance of adequate resources for survival.
How People Become Homeless in the First Place
This is the million dollar question. The risk of homelessness is influenced by various factors like substance abuse, mental illness, low minimum wage, and rising housing costs.
These elements can push individuals and families into poverty, making it harder to maintain stable housing.
Without access to affordable housing, many are at risk of becoming homeless, especially in regions with high costs of living. Social services can help, but the application process is often complex.
When you’re down to just trying to survive, you don’t have the time or energy to wade through a complex system. You just want shelter and something to eat.
What Do Homeless People Need? How to Put Together a Care Kit
The following ideas are designed to help you create a care kit that homeless people can benefit from. They’re a great way to help meet immediate needs while showing compassion.
A good care kit contains practical, essential items that address hygiene, food, and comfort needs. The following items are key components for a well-rounded homeless care package:
1. Hygiene Essentials
- Hand sanitizer (travel-sized, alcohol-based for hygiene on the go)
- Toilet paper (portable packs)
- Hand lotion (for cracked or dry skin)
- Soap and laundry detergent (small, portable portions)
- Shampoo and conditioner (travel-sized)
- Baby items (wipes, diapers for homeless families with infants)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
2. Food and Snacks
- Non-perishable food items (e.g., canned tuna or peanut butter)
- Protein bars and granola bars (nutritious, portable options)
- Water bottles (especially in warm climates)
- Instant coffee or tea bags
- Dog food if the person has a dog
3. Clothing and Comfort
- New socks and clean socks (most requested items)
- Hand warmers (especially during cold winter months)
- Winter accessories (hats, gloves, scarves)
- Lightweight backpack bed or blanket
- Clothing items (t-shirts, underwear, warm layers)
4. First Aid Supplies
- Band-aids, antibiotic ointment, and alcohol wipes for basic medical attention
- Pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Additional Resources to Support Homeless Individuals
If you want to make a bigger impact, connect with local agencies and homeless shelters. They offer resources to help those in need on a larger scale. Here are some great options to consider:
Local Homeless Shelters
Shelters like the Portland Rescue Mission provide food, a safe place to sleep, and case management to help people get back on their feet.
Social Services
Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) work to reduce homelessness by offering food support and housing assistance.
Mental Health Resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) connects people with mental health services, including counseling and support for mental illnesses.
Advocacy Groups
Organizations like the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Alliance to End Homelessness focus on long-term solutions, such as permanent supportive housing and policy change.
Health Centers
Free or low-cost clinics help individuals access medical care and address health issues, which are often barriers to stability.
By supporting these programs or connecting people to these resources, you can help make a real difference in your community.
Other Ways to Help
If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, why not host a care kit party? Get friends and family together and assemble homeless care packages. You could also volunteer at a homeless shelter or emergency shelter.
Not comfortable delivering items directly to unhoused people? You can always donate essential items like hygiene products, non-perishable food, or blankets to service providers.
Summary
Kathryn still lives outside and as much as I want to help, I’ve come to the realization that the best I can do is help her immediate needs. It’s not going to change the world, but it could impact her comfort level at the very least.
When I put together a care package for her, I’ll include a lot of things I’ve suggested in this post. She’s hungry a lot, so I’ll likely include a lot of non-perishable food in the kit along with things to keep her warm in these cold months.
Just remember that if you’re giving things like canned goods, the person probably needs a way to open that can and another way to heat the food in the can.
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