By Aidan Cho
Growing up in the Bay Area, homelessness was never a foreign concept. From seeing camps built on the side of highways to serving at our local shelter every holiday season, there has never been a time in my life when I was unaware of what the housing and employment process does to the community. Thanks to being introduced to the practice of helping my community at a young age, I have seen the many benefits of shelters for the unhoused. At the forefront of benefits, shelters help provide necessities to those in need. Food, water, and shelter are all parts of life that most of our society has taken for granted due to the ability to access any of them easily. However, those who are being housed by the homeless shelters in their respective communities never get the same luxury.
Beyond the basics of what homeless shelters tend to provide to their community, many of these organizations make a significant effort to help reintegrate their residents into society. By providing counseling, job searching, and advocacy for their strengths, homeless shelters are a necessary backbone in any community. If you or anyone you know lacks an understanding of the homeless community, you could also benefit from homeless shelters, just in a different way than those who are residents. Volunteering for the community not only helps out those in need but also helps you understand on a deeper level what those staying at the shelters have to go through to end up there.
Though many people in our society will continue to uphold their ignorance regarding every community’s struggles, I hope you can understand what it means to be a part of a positive change. Visiting your local shelter can do more than you may think; all it takes is a phone call and a Google search to be able to make a difference.
References:
24 C.F.R. § 576.102 (2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-576/subpart-B/section-576.102
National Alliance to End Homelessness. (n.d.). Crisis response. https://endhomelessness.org/resources/toolkits-and-training-materials/crisis-response/
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. (n.d.). Improve effectiveness of homelessness response systems.https://www.usich.gov/federal-strategic-plan/improve-effectiveness-homelessness-response-systems