From years of doing street outreach with the unhoused we’ve learned that a non-judgmental, non-transactional approach works best.
We’ve learned that conversations involving moral correctness must be handled carefully especially when addiction is involved. Why? Because framing an unhoused person’s predicament as punishment or personal failure can compound the sense of guilt and shame that people feel and make it more difficult for them to recover.
Our outreach doesn’t promote accountability or repentance. That’s a journey that hopefully in time will evolve on its own naturally. What we’re about is building trust and providing people with what they need the most of on any given day, and that’s food, water, clothing, and hygiene items. Oh, and we try to throw in a little something else along the way: Compassion, love, and understanding. 