What to do if you suddenly find yourself homeless

merlinthemarvelous:

butttoucherboy:

hipsandheartbreak:

spork-of-humanity:

dangerbabegang:

FOOD

  • Find your nearest food bank or mission, for food
  • grocery stores with free samples, bakeries + stores with day-old bread
  • different fast food outlets have cheaper food and will generally let you hang out for a while.
  • some dollar stores carry food like cans of beans or fruit

SHELTER

  • Sleeping at beaches during the day is a good way to avoid suspicion and harassment
  • sleep with your bag strapped to you, so someone can’t steal it
  • Some churches offer short term residence
  • Find your nearest homeless shelter
  • Look for places that are open to the public
  • A large dumpster near a wall can often be moved so that flipping up the lids creates an angled shelter to stay dry

HYGIENE

  • A membership to the YMCA is usually only 10$, which has a shower, and sometimes laundry machines and lockers.
  • Public libraries have bathrooms you can use
  • Dollar stores carry low-end soaps and deodorant etc.
  • Wet wipes are all purpose and a life saver
  • Local beaches, go for a quick swim
  • Some truck stops have showers you can pay for
  • Staying clean is the best way to prevent disease, and potentially get a job to get back on your feet
  • Pack 7 pairs of socks/undies, 2 outfits, and one hooded rain jacket

OTHER

  • first aid kit
  •  sunscreen
  •  a travel alarm clock or watch
  •  mylar emergency blanket
  •  a backpack is a must
  •  downgrade your cellphone to a pay as you go with top-up cards
  •  sleeping bag
  •  travel kit of toothbrush, hair brush/comb, mirror
  •  swiss army knife
  •  can opener

Reblog to literally save a life

if there is a Dollar Tree near you, they have entire food aisles

Planet Fitness also has $10 memberships. you can shower and they have free food days! pizza night 1st monday every month, bagel tuesday the 2nd tuesday every month.

this is very important!! i went through this and i literally didn’t know what to do and had to learn a lot the hard way. please take the time to read this!

Public libraries are your friend! Free access to Internet, books, and information nearly every day of the week depending on where you live. You can stay all day as long as you’re using the resources, which is a huge thing in the winter when it’s freezing out, or the summer when it’s hot enough to make you sick. In my town they have free community dinners in the library basement every Monday. Librarians are there to help you, they know where to look for jobs, they know how to help you apply if you don’t know how. Trust me, getting to know your local library is super important.