What might stop you from volunteering to work with homeless people?

Several of my friends do. Some patrol the streets at night giving the homeless cups of tea and making sure they are as ok as possible. They link up with the police, social services and emergency services. It is done through their church. Another friend works once a week in a canteen providing lunch for the homeless.

Personally I work as a volunteer for a local football club.

Another thought that’s come to me, GrannyActivist (sorry, my brain is working rather slowly!) is that if someone mentioned volunteering with a charity for homeless people, I’d immediately think it meant working in a hostel. That would not be on my radar at all and all the things you mention that you do would not be part of what I imagined volunteering would mean.

I have worked with drug addicts in the past and yes, they are people just like you and me.

It’s a very good question grannyactivist and it’s made me think.
For me, both centres, in cities near me are a distance away, and volunteering, active opportunities, are in the evening/night, I wouldn’t feel comfortable on my own going to either for anything, even shopping. So it’s my confidence really, irrespective of what I’m going for, if it was in my village or town, possibly different.
As peaseblossom said, broken into tasks,I’d willingly do remote admin, transport during the day ( I voluntary drive now).
You are admirable, I wish I had more confidence, maybe I’ll get there.

I am full of admiration for you ga and what would stop me volunteering with homeless people isn't what sparks my interest.

My interest was sparked by a friend being unable to access help when her dh (a contemporary of dh's at dental school) was diagnosed with dementia. That sparked my interest and I have never looked back.

So, in my case it was happenstance!

GrannyActivist, I used to do volunteering like you mention, I also had a part-time post in a unit for dug abusers. All of it very interesting and the people were not frightening. I then started suffering with long term back pain and sciatica despite every medical intervention for my physical pain I still have days when I cannot do much. I could not commit to anything as one day I was okay the next I could barely walk up the road. I miss the work and think you are doing a much needed and worthwhile role.

I'm just to busy.

That’s a very interesting post, GrannyActivist, explaining what you do. It all shouts ‘professionalism’ to me, though, and not the kind of thing many volunteers would feel capable of doing. Most of the tasks you mention, I’d have no idea of how to go about doing! You mention training but do people want to do much of that? Older people lead busy lives nowadays and maybe don’t want that much commitment?

Thank you everyone for your replies - they’re all helpful.

Galaxy I spent a long time as a senior social worker and so it’s often been because of my intervention that Safeguarding meetings have been convened for people that had slipped through the net. You are right that the role I have would normally be a paid one, but one of the reasons we have such success with our clients is that we’re trusted more, simply because we’re working for free.

The Caseworkers are doing ‘higher level’ tasks, such as attendance at PIP Tribunals, liaison with professionals, Inter-Agency negotiations etc., we’re very experienced in public facing roles (we’re aged 65+ and have had significant roles in our previous professions). What we’re looking for are people who can take on the more pragmatic tasks - and someone to deal with the logistics of co-ordinating the various jobs.

We have been offered interns, but to be honest there’s only me who’s qualified to supervise them and that would take me away from what I need to do.

The good news is that my lovely husband is now working from home running our own business, which means that he’s able and willing to join the team and help out when he can.

I'm going to be really honest, I think most people want to get paid for working - especially if it is with complex issues/people.

Is it perhaps the age and demographic of your team?
Are you wanting to attract young blood?

peaseblossom made a very good point. Be more specific in what you are asking for?

That is a wide range of clients and a wide range of support that is offered. It also sounds like a broad range of skills and knowledge are required.
Who are the caseworkers that you mention? Are they paid members of your team?
I may be barking up the wrong tree completely but wondered if it may be something that could be approached by offering unpaid internships to younger people who may find the experience useful when applying for paid posts in future.

Do you break the volunteering opportunities down into single tasks. When I read the list of the things you do I’m overwhelmed and think not for me.

But if I saw Wanted someone to deliver food twice a week to a site in a field, I’d think yup I can do that.

But nothing else. And you may be looking for more commitment over a range of tasks.

It’s not very clear here on Gransnet what you actually want, so maybe it’s not very clear to people in your area?

A friend of mine used to work in a charity shop. some new person started working there and they were really horrible. Upset all the staff. She left and she wasn't the only one. How ridiculous to lose good staff and keep someone not nice.

I will be honest and say it sounds as if you need more paid staff rather than volunteers. Some of what you describe is in my view asking a great deal of a volunteer particularly the safeguarding meeting. Sorry that might not be what you want to hear. Do you have a support organisation for charities in your local area, they are often useful in tackling volunteer recruitment.

I am in awe of you grannyactivist. Talk about making a difference. Are you able to say where you are based?

I was taken for a ride by a man who was "starving" and I paid for a week+ worth of food. I am aware it is very wrong but I think the vast majority of homeless have been on drugs so I would not help that person. Certainly, in London, it is one of the main problems and I can see it when the person is young, fairly emaciated and the eyes are dull and glazed.
I have offered a sandwich to folk sitting on the pavement but it was either refused or thrown away- they wanted hard cash which I was not willing to give.

Thank you Meryl and Scones for your kind words.

We are a very small team, but a happy one.

Sorry, I was typing as you were posting, grannyactivist.

I used to take warm clothes, blankets and food to a local drop-in centre for rough sleepers until it moved. Unfortunately we had a spate of bogus street beggars who were bussed down from London by a gangmaster. This has made me feel very sceptical about who is a genuine deserving case.
If I was asked if I'd like to volunteer for a homeless charity I would think "What's in it for me? What would I find rewarding?" To be honest I can't think what would be rewarding because I don't know enough about what's involved.

Okay; I think we've tried it all, but please give me honest feedback.

We have a website and a Facebook page, and a leaflet that lots of local outlets; churches, libraries, cafes, town and district council offices, GP surgery, cottage hospital etc. have on display. The leaflet gives information about what we can do and what we don't do (more about that in a minute).

Our work is held up as an exemplar and is actively endorsed by the local police (who wrote a very positive article about us in their in-house magazine), our GP surgery (from where we get many of our referrals) and the District and Town Councils. The local newspapers frequently write articles about our work and past clients have been interviewed on radio, TV and in online media.

I have spoken to the Lions, the WI, local churches and held 'events' where people can come along and meet with the caseworkers and some of our clients. We have used newspaper and radio interviews to ask for volunteers - including taking out paid ads.

Ironically we've never really had to spend time fundraising because inevitably whenever we ask for volunteers people tend to send us money instead.

In addition to self-referrals, our clients come to us from GPs, the District council, other charities, social services, the police, our website - and most often via word of mouth. We are easily contactable and usually one of us is available by phone at any given time.

'Drink, drugs and aggression' I would say are rarely the hallmarks of our clients, but before starting a role with us everyone has thorough training in how to deal with this. In six years I've never had a situation worse than having voices raised at me - I'm 68 and 5'2" and the majority of my clients are so grateful to have help they just want to keep me well to carry on doing what I do!

Some of our clients are street homeless, but many are not. Of those that are I would say that about half of them are in work. Street homeless can mean a person is living in a tent, in a car, on a bench or in a doorway. The referral is made and we meet the client (in safe pairs of two) in a community cafe, where the staff are also 'on board'. We provide free hot meals and unlimited drinks as long as the client is engaging appropriately with us.

In addition to rough sleepers we deal with people who are fleeing domestic abuse, both males and females, with people being evicted (many at the moment are 'no fault' evictions), with people who have been denied PIP or ESA, and with people whose medical problems are exacerbated by housing issues. (That's a brief snapshot and far from exhaustive.)

Our job is basically to negotiate the best possible outcome for our client, based on a realistic understanding of their needs and what they say they want. So a lot of our time is spent in negotiation with statutory agencies, filling out forms, really listening to people and doing a lot of pragmatic tasks.

This week: I've ordered some clothes online for a gentleman who's been admitted to a care home, provided a phone to a man living in his van who needs it for his shifts to be texted to him, attended an adult safeguarding meeting, arranged a podiatry appointment (feet really do suffer if you're homeless), taken a call from a worried GP who needed advice about a patient, written an article for an upcoming Information Meeting, bought and delivered several bags of food to a field outside town (the FoodBank don't do that), sent off for a birth certificate for a client who has no ID, negotiated immediate accommodation for a man with an urgent medical need (and our brilliant Housing Team work so well with us that my request was very quickly acted upon), had several phone calls with the local PCSOs, booked the venue for our monthly Inter-Agency meeting, and that's not half of it. So you see why we need more volunteers.

My clients are mostly lovely people (actually they look a lot like you), and for the most part it's a privilege to work with and for them. I absolutely love what I do and I know that we make a huge difference in people's lives (some of them are actually alive now who wouldn't be if they hadn't had help. Not everyone engages with us appropriately and those that don't are shown the door and told they can come back when they're ready to receive the help we offer.

Ah I didn't know that. Agree with you completely about grannyactivist so that definitely not the case then. Sorry grannyactivist no offence intended at all.

Scones

Sorry to keep posting but your challenge really interests me.

Could you speak to other local charities to see what they are doing to attract people and what works for them?

I live in a small town and know that reputation travels far and wide. We have a great charity in town here but people are loathe to volunteer as the man in charge is disorganised, bossy and ungrateful for any help given interesting. Could that be the case for your charity?

Also, what SueDonim said.

I very much doubt it as grannyactivist is the person who set up and runs the charity.
From reading her posts a more reasoned woman you could not wish to meet.

The reputation for drink, drugs and aggression is a factor. I don't think people realise just how easily you could become homeless so people may feel that those who are are somehow feckless. There isn't the cuteness factor of children or kittens or puppies. From experience I know that some of the stories of what brought people to that position are heartbreaking
Also there are often multiple problems, eg physical and mental health, longstanding addictions, relationship break ups etc and it can feel that any help you can give is a drop in the ocean. Also someone can be helped and make great progress, but it can be lost surprisingly quickly and easily so back to square one.

Sorry to keep posting but your challenge really interests me.

Could you speak to other local charities to see what they are doing to attract people and what works for them?

I live in a small town and know that reputation travels far and wide. We have a great charity in town here but people are loathe to volunteer as the man in charge is disorganised, bossy and ungrateful for any help given interesting. Could that be the case for your charity?

Also, what SueDonim said.