According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at least 800,000 people are homeless in the United States on any given night — that’s approximately the population of San Francisco. Get involved to help eradicate the plight of hunger and homelessness in your community and across our nation.

Who Are the Homeless?

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, officials estimate that single men comprise 51 percent of the homeless population, families with children 30 percent, single women 17 percent, and unaccompanied youth 2 percent.

The homeless population is estimated to be 42 percent African-American, 39 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Native American, and 2 percent Asian.

The homeless include war veterans, those considered mentally ill, and substance abusers. Not all homeless people are without jobs either — in fact, 13 percent of the homeless population is employed.

How Many People Are Homeless?

Homeless counts may miss significant numbers of people, including those living in doubled-up situations, or with relatives and friends. The “unsheltered" or "hidden" homeless frequently stay in automobiles, camp grounds, or other makeshift housing, such as tents, boxes, caves, or boxcars — making it difficult for researchers to effectively count them.

Despite difficulties in calculating, the best approximation of the number of homeless is from a 2007 study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, which states that approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year.

Got Food?

According to the report Hunger in America 2001,
conducted by the Second Harvest Food Bank, the problem of hunger in our nation goes beyond what happens in inner cities to those who are homeless or chronically unemployed. Hunger in America 2001 was independent research conducted by Mathematica Policy Research (MPR), one of the nation's preeminent social policy research firms. Nationwide, more than 30,000 low-income people provided face-to-face interviews addressing questions about their income, difficult choices they have to make to buy food, and whether or not their children have enough to eat.

The study found that women and single-parent families are disproportionately experiencing hunger, with women representing nearly two-thirds of adults seeking food assistance. Nearly half of all emergency food recipients served by food banks live in rural or suburban areas of the country. More than 9 million children received emergency food assistance in 2001, which is roughly 1 million more people than the total population of New York City.

Many of America's hungry face difficult choices about living essentials. Nearly half must choose between paying for utilities and buying food. More than 35 percent must choose between buying food and paying the rent or mortgage. Twenty-nine percent also have to choose between paying for healthcare or filling prescriptions and buying food. Although some of these people qualify for food assistance programs like food stamps, they often are not familiar with (or able to access) the system.

What Can You Do?

Participating in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (November 11–17, 2007) helps bring these issues to the forefront of our national consciousness, educates those in your community, and facilitates efforts to end hunger and homelessness. Addressing the struggles of the homeless by organizing and participating in activities during this week may bring greater solidarity and understanding among members of the community.

Events such as "One Night Without a Home" help people realize firsthand the difficulties that homeless persons face daily. One of the goals of this week is to recognize that homelessness is everyone’s problem and that an end to homelessness is possible.

Coordinate an Event

Following is a sampling of possible activities for National Hunger and Homelessness Week:

• Organize a “One Night Without a Home” awareness sleep out in front of city hall or on a nearby college campus.
• Host an educational forum on hunger and homelessness. Invite speakers, such as homeless persons and service providers, to share their experiences. Use this time to show a video and distribute fact sheets and other informational materials.
• Register homeless and low-income people to vote.
• Designate one day for community members to skip a meal. Instead of purchasing lunch that day, they can donate the money that they would have spent to hungry people in the community.
• Organize a potluck dinner where community members bring a dish for themselves and for other people. Invite homeless persons as guests in order to encourage community interaction.

Early planning contributes to the overall success of any activity. Visit the website of the National Coalition for the Homeless to download a manual that offers ideas and detailed descriptions of suggested events, as well as additional resources — including a list of advocacy groups you may choose to work with.

From the Resource Center Lending Library

• Faces of Homelessness
• Faces of Homelessness II
• Growing Hope: The Homeless Garden Project
• Small Steps
• Fly Away Home

From the Effective Practices Collection

• Partnering with a bakery to provide breakfast to low-income schools
• Buying nutritional food on a limited budget
• Starting a homeless garden project
• Teaching nutrition and life-skills to adults with low incomes
• Providing clothes for people transitioning into the workforce

From the Resource Center Online Courses

• Project Planning