How to Help the Unhoused Community
Author, Lei Nguyen | 5/27/2022
Our mission is to end relational poverty on the streets by inspiring people all over the world to love their homeless neighbors and offer a variety of opportunities for people to get involved Our volunteers are based across the world, with different backgrounds and nationalities but all have the same purpose, to help someone’s somebody, because everybody needs a friend.
There are several ways to get involved and join our community:
Volunteers are connected with our unhoused friends for weekly phone calls and texts. They can work from any location and are linked with an unhoused individual at a participating partner site, as well as a mentor from the Miracle Messages network. Volunteers are given a new, secure virtual phone number to contact and text with their Friends thanks to our partnership with Dialpad, a cloud-based phone system.
Volunteers can expect to devote 2-3 hours each week to:
1:1 calls
maintaining call records
weekly 30-minutes group check-ins
continuous training and communication
Nathaniel, an unhoused neighbor who’s part of our Miracle Friends program and his Miracle Friend, Bruce.
“Nathaniel was really there for me when my father died this year at 90 years old. He helped me process the loss and put our relationship in a positive perspective.” Bruce says.
We rely on a global community of volunteer “digital detectives” to locate loved ones, deliver messages, and help reunite families. An unhoused recipient records a short message for their loved ones, which is often sent through one of our 140+ referral partners. Then, with the help of our volunteer "digital detectives," we try to find that loved one and arrange a reunion.
Volunteers can expect to devote 3-4 hours a week to:
weekly check-in calls
using case intake information, research, and locating loved ones
deliver messages to loved ones
help in facilitating a reunion or reconnection
attend case-solving community calls
Digital Detective Mark Askins (right) and Michael Alan Patrick, an unhoused recipient
We couldn’t do what we do today without the help of our amazing interns! We offer 12-week volunteer experiences for college students and recent graduates to gain experience in nonprofit Social Media & Communications, UX Design, Storytelling, Video Editing, and Programs & Operations work. Interns must also participate in one of our core programs as a buddy in our Miracle Friends program or as a digital detective helping to reunite loved ones.
Interns can expect to devote 5-10 hours a week to:
work on Miracle Message internal projects
volunteer with Miracle Friend program
Photo: Summer 2022 Interns
Spread the word!
Connect with us by reposting, sharing our account and stories on all of our social media platforms. Help share the message to your community through:
Our work would not be possible without the support we receive from our donors. Your donations to Miracle Messages will make an enormous difference in the lives of so many of our unhoused friends. Make a tax-deductible donation here.
Everyone is someone's somebody. Help us rebuild social capital. Join us, learn more, or donate today.