How to Make A Homeless Person's Life

Hundreds of thousands of people have viewed this video, it is possible even you have already seen it. Many people, though, have probably not seen the second part of this, which I will discuss later in this post.

The point of this post is not the video itself, but the idea that it could have a ripple effect and something like this could happen for thousands of other people. This video gave me the following idea:

Two people with available funding get together and do the following:

They use $500.00 ($1,000 for a family) total to try to change the life of a homeless person. The reason for this amount is that $500.00 would sufficiently cover doing this for a person who has nothing while you have extra you can spend. Eyeing that designer handbag at $500.00? I guarantee you this: That handbag is not going to change the world. It may feel like it but, in six months it will be gathering dust somewhere in your home, barely used.

They find someone in desperate need of a pick me up. Someone homeless, and desperate for just one person to take notice and offer that little bit of help that could save them or their children from another night of starving.

This is where you make a difference:

The team finds a homeless person or family, and makes their day, week, month, year... their whole life.

Keep in mind that the simplest of things are not available to someone without a roof over their head. Work is hard to find because you are hard to reach, and even harder when your potential employers get a sample of how you smell or appear since you cannot shower.

Martin is the man who was helped in this video, a little information on the basics of Martin's day before these two showed up:

Martin had been panhandling for several hours with a sign asking for work. He had only made $8.

There are far too many in the same situation as Martin. Panhandling in the streets with cardboard signs that read so many things, some are humorous, others are very simple. Many just say "Will work for food."

Think about that phrase for a moment. "Will work for food." Your desire for money is completely dwindled. You are so hungry you could care less about what is in your wallet, just that there is nothing in your stomach and you will do any job offered to you for just a single meal. Could you see yourself in that situation? Can you imagine that kind of hunger? Can you ever imagine having the though, much less saying "To me $8 is the whole world. It means I can eat."

Can you imagine it? While you sit in your comfortable spot on your computer, possibly snacking on something delicious and readily available. Can you imagine it?

Here is my idea, and we could go full on non-profit to do something like this nationwide, maybe even worldwide.

Remember, this is to help them get to a point where they can apply for jobs and gain employment. It's not a hand out, it's helping them to their feet.

They take this person to a hotel and get that person a hot shower. Trust me, just doing that little bit will make that person feel like they are on top of the world and they will appreciate it until the day they die.

Why? Have you ever been denied a hot shower for a day or two? Imagine not being able to take a hot shower for weeks at a time. Pretty disgusting thought, right? Now, imagine living like that because you have no choice due to some chain of events that landed you sleeping in the cold streets at night without access to proper bathroom facilities, or even something as simple as toilet paper. The hotel room? Imagine how you would feel if someone walked up to you after you've been sleeping on concrete or grass in all weather and said you were going to get a soft bed for just a couple of nights to sleep in.

After the hot shower, they feed that person a hot meal at a restaurant.

Have you ever flippantly said "I am starving" to someone? Your stomach hurts and you're dying to get to the fridge and graze to your heart's content. Imagine not being able to stop the hunger pain. Imagine not being able to just go to the fridge and stuff your face if you feel like it. Imagine having to rely on the kindness of others who throw change your way just to make themselves feel a little better, not realizing that change may add up to just a single meal. It adds up to a single night without simple hunger.

After the meal, the team takes that person to get a haircut.

Why? Have you ever had the feeling like a new haircut changed your entire self-view? The feeling after a new haircut can change your entire self image. It can make you feel like you have a million dollars in your pocket, and it is amazing.

After the haircut, it is time to go shopping.

Why? Imagine wearing the same clothes day after day, it doesn't matter if they're clean, so long as you are suitably dressed to be out in public, because that is where you live, in public. Again, you don't have access to modern amenities, there is no handy washer and dryer available, and laundromats cost money. Imagine what it would be like to have a total stranger, or a not so total stranger, even, come up to you and take you to a store and stuff a shopping cart with fresh, clean, brand new clothing just for you. Your shoes, which are worn out from age and wear since you spend so much time as an unwilling urban nomad, living from a backpack or shopping cart, or even a discarded garbage or grocery bag.

Next, the team takes them grocery shopping, get them something to feed them for a week or two that is non perishable.

Why? Again, imagine you don't have food available. Two weeks worth of non perishable foods can make all of the difference in the world.

After that, the team sits them down somewhere with a printer and you help them put their skills and work history into a resume, and print ten or twenty copies. You put these into a plastic folder that seals well enough to protect them from the elements.

This is where there is a catch. They will get the remaining money towards the hotel room (if there is enough) or other neccessities (if there is not enough to maintain the hotel), but they have to take this experience, and put it towards finding a job and getting back on their feet.

Now, because I promised. Martin's follow up video. Because of the VitalyZDTV video on YouTube, he gained some minor fame. He had some hiccups, though, other homeless were not as appreciative of the video as he was.

Please, keep in mind that the teeth were another extra for him, but it is kind of a stretch to be able to do it for every person helped.

He did, though, get a home. Because of the video, a man found Martin and gave him a job. His wife took him back and he is living in a home. The two pranksters who decided to something absolutely beautiful, changed this man's life exponentially for the better. They even managed to secure some dentists for Martin, and got his teeth pulled and got him new dentures. The dentures, alone, would have cost $3,000, but the dentist did his set pro bono.

Now, I want you to imagine one more thing. It is a simple thing. Imagine a single team of two doing this once a week for one homeless person or family per week. That is 52 people, or families, whose lives are changed for the better. Now imagine ten teams, fifty, a hundred teams.

Can you imagine it? I can. Can you imagine making that much impact, one team at a time, one person or family at a time? It may not make a difference for one person out of thousands, but it matters to them.

Aside from that, can you imagine the feeling of being treated like royalty for a day when you were in the street hours before?

Never underestimate the power of a kind action.

I figure, since his story is my inspiration for this, Martin deserved a little bit of before and after.

I am curious. Did Martin's experience inspire you?