653,104 is the number of people who were experiencing homelessness during the national 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. This figure represents a record high since homelessness data collection began in 2007. Homelessness increased overall by 12% from 2022 to 2023. 46% of older adults experiencing homelessness (age 55 and over) live unsheltered. Asian/Asian American homelessness increased…
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Buy food or pay bills; that’s a question that many families in America grapple with regularly. When you hear the word food insecurity who immediately comes to your mind? For a long time, hunger has been associated with extreme poverty and the homeless. However, a growing lack of consistent access to nutritious meals has everyone…
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Atheists Helping the Homeless DC receives many donated clothes. The items are gently used and are made from materials that don’t need ironing. Our clients can wash them anywhere, even in a sink and they will dry with minimal wrinkles even as they are worn. Knits are good, but some synthetic fabrics are good too…
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According to a 2015 assessment by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States. At a minimum, 140,000 or 25 percent of these people were seriously mentally ill, and 250,000 or 45 percent had any mental illness. By comparison, a 2016 study found…
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From and article by R Brown and A Chatterjee: We found that families experiencing homelessness tend to have poor diets, lacking healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, but high in intake of unhealthy sugars and fats. Barriers to healthy eating included lack of access to cooking and storage resources in the shelter environment, the…
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Food Insecurity and Homelessness Facing food insecurity impacts our mental and physical health. One study shows that mothers of school-aged children facing hunger are 56% more likely to face PTSD and 53% more likely to face severe depression. There is a strong relationship between hunger and chronic diseases. Food insecurity also changes the way we…
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Information from a Rand Corporation Study: Police often are the first (and sometimes the only) point of government contact for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH). Although it has been common for police to rely on traditional law enforcement powers in dealing with homelessness, many agencies have moved away from arrest-focused methods in favor of approaches that…
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The client is on the left. The volunteer is on the right. The weather was bitter cold but sunny. #atheistshelping
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Five Below stores sell large carry-all bags made of light canvas for twenty-five cents. They are perfect for some people experiencing homelessness who must carry all of their belongings with them. #atheistshelping
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The man on the left is a volunteer. He helps us distribute hygiene items to people experiencing homelessness. The man on the right is homeless. He has a family and an apartment in Virginia, but he has been looking for work in Washington DC. He had been sleeping in his car for a week or…
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