There are many ways to help the homeless.

Many of these things have been addressed singularly here previously, but it is nice to see a brief outline of each. A couple of points to make: as many of you Nashvillians might remember, we tried a meter here once before but due to a lack of publicity and poor placement, it wasn't very successful. I recently argued for a reintroduction of meters here; a sentiment that is getting increasing support from some members of the community. Feeding the homeless here in Nashville has become an exercise fraught with danger; not from the homeless but from the Health department and the police, who are quick to cite those doing so without the proper permits. This has been the case in many many cities around the country and while I believe the permits help ensure safe food, I recognize too that many people simply stopped feeding rather than hassle with the permit process (even though it is a relatively simple affair). Changing the law is a great way to get things done but it is time consuming, laborious, often outrageously expensive and usually out of the reach of most folks who are suffering from homelessness. Hence the critical need for advocacy groups like the Nashville Homeless Power Project, the ACLU and countless other agencies who have devoted their efforts to making life more tolerable for the less fortunate in our society. The NHPP in particular has brought attention not only to pressing issues of our time here in our city, but also has provided information on events like The Big Sleepout, The Urban Plunge, and has memorialized many of our homeless who have died as a direct result of life on the streets. (Hat Tip to Matt at Hobodays for the nice synopsis - details for each are available at the site)

Novel Ways To Help The Homeless

Give Up Your Bed For A Night Change The Law Caring Christmas Trees Corporate Sponsorship Don't Try This At Home Feed The Meter