Volunteer

There are hundreds of ways to help people who are homeless, and there is likely an opportunity that is just right for you. Volunteering your time is one of the most powerful things you can do to help people who are homeless. Most organizations that use volunteers are very accommodating regarding the interests and skills of potential volunteers. Please do not hesitate to contact any organization and discuss the different ways you may be able to help. You can learn about volunteer opportunities by contacting an agency directly, through a volunteer connection Web site or through the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.

Be a Mentor: Housed and homeless alike, we all need friends: people we can call on for advice and support, reassurance and encouragement. Teams or small groups of people from a congregation, civic club or office can volunteer to adopt or mentor someone who is working to escape homelessness. Providing this service in partnership with an agency who can offer training is one of the best ways our community can help connect homeless people with jobs leads, advice and friendship.

Be a Guardian: Many homeless people would like to have someone trustworthy help them manage their finances. Voluntary representative payee programs do just this by matching homeless people with volunteers who help them with basic tasks like paying their bills on time. Volunteers receive training and are paired with someone who lives close by and wants assistance writing checks and paying bills. Other volunteers are needed to reconcile bank accounts and help insure accounting safeguards are maintained. This is an on-going commitment but takes relatively little time each week.

Get your faith-based group involved: For years, faith communites have been the bedrock of our response to homelessness. There are many organizations serving the homless who would welcome the participation of your congregation. Service opportunities also are ideal for collaboration with other congregations from your own faith tradition or another. If you are interested in starting your own venture, seek the advice of another group who has taken on a similar project. HUD's Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives can help.

• Public Comment Sought on Funding Priorities for Programs and Services in Support of the Directions Home Plan to End Chronic Homelessness 
• Multi-year trends point to success 
• Homeless count shows more people moving into stable housing 
• Quarterly Performance Reports

Data and Reports

• Evaluation of Directions Home Supportive Housing and the Use of Critical Service Systems: Preliminary Results 
• Supportive Housing: Neighborhood Impact

Program Contact

Otis Thornton
Homelessness Program Director
Phone:817-392-7552

Agencies

• Tarrant County Homeless Coalition
• Texas Homelessness Network
• U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
• HUD Homeless Resource Exchange 
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme
• Corporation for Supportive Housing
• National Alliance to End Homelessness