Time to End Homelessness: 5 Actions in 5 Minutes

by Shannon Moriarty

Published November 19, 2008 @ 10:27AM PT

This week is National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week... so don't just sit there, DO something!

To eliminate any excuses you may have for not getting involved, here are five actions you can take today that won't take more than five minutes:

1. Sponsor a show on Homeless Youth TV.
   Change the reality of homeless youth in America by sponsoring your favorite HYtv reality show (Meal or No Meal, American Idle, Project Runaway). Your $1 sponsorship goes to an organization that provides services to vulnerable youth. Here's the best part: you get a great sponsor badge that you can display on your Facebook page, blog, or homepage to help spread the word! 
    
2. Organize an email-blast food drive.
   Soup kitchens and food pantries are in short supply, thanks to our sick economy. Right now, you can send an email blast to your co-workers, social network, congregation, or classmates and ask them to bring a canned food item to work/school/party/service tomorrow. Remember: a bunch of small actions can add up quickly to make a big impact!
    
3. Call your Senators and urge them to vote for an economic recovery package to prevent hardship. 
   If the Senate fails to act this week, nothing will happen until January! The Coalition on Human Need's Legislative Action Center provides all of the phone numbers, scripts, and background information you need to make these critical calls. So what are you waiting for?
    
4. Learn about homelessness in YOUR community.
   Does your community have a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness? Is your community on the Top 20 list of Meanest Cities for homeless people? Does your community have a street paper? If all politics is local, so are many of the best solutions and most controversial issues surrounding homelessness. Learn something new about your community today... you might be surprised at what you find!
    
5. Share this list with five friends. 
   Ask five friends to spend five minutes of their time today to end homelessness. Share the reality of this issue, tell them why you think it's important and why you care. And take this a step further: when you learn something interesting, share it! Post the link to a blog post on Facebook or share the link on Twitter or email. This doesn't require a lot of effort on your part, but can inspire others to learn about this issue and take action. 

It's going to take more than a week of awareness to end homelessness in America (to regurgitate a bit of my rant from yesterday). This critical issue needs to be on our national conscience every week of the year. 

Spread the word.