Social entrepreneurs are mostly seen as activists who try really hard to get their point across at whatever it takes. That’s not entirely false but not completely true. A social entrepreneur wants to improve society for the better while an activist wants to fight for whatever they are fighting for no matter the results. Social entrepreneurs care about the results being positive and improving those they are fighting for. Social entrepreneurs don’t just want to create a quick fix they want to create innovative solutions that will stand the test of time. They’re driven by their mission and hope to make revenue to keep their mission going.

The benefits of social entrepreneurs to society are obvious by the good that they are creating but also the psychological benefits they implement with the programs they initiate. Going through losing your home and depending on no one but yourself takes a huge toll on a person. It’s not that easy to recover from a situation like that. It takes a ton of patience, empathy and consideration from the entrepreneurs end. Creating these types of programs may sound simple on paper but to implement them in the world and dealing with the actual people that have suffered through this is a lot harder. Both parties must create a bond of trust between one another which takes a lot of time. Once that bond is formed the relationship will flourish way past the program and a true friendship will be made. This helps the homeless person want to better themselves and move forward with the treatment.

Homeless people are seen as second rate citizens and sometimes not even seen as a citizen in the eyes of others. All people, from rich, poor, healthy, homeless, or any situation they find themselves are human beings. With that said every person deserves with the basic human rights. With these innovative programs created by social entrepreneurs people may see homeless people in a different light and create more empathy with them and for others in general. No one grows up thinking and striving to become homeless. Some people make the wrong decisions or aren’t fortunate enough to have the choices some of us take for granted. These people deserve a second chance or for some a first chance. That’s what social entrepreneurs are doing creating opportunities for everyone to be able to succeed by providing them with basic human rights and a chance to get back on their feet.

In the U.S. there is roughly over 500,000 homeless people as of January 2018. Roughly 70% of that 500,000 are individual homeless people and the other 30% are families with children. These numbers have been steadily increasing since 2007 when more accurate data has been accumulated according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. This nonprofit organization has introduced the facts of this situation to the eyes of the American people and has created awareness. They provide the public with facts, charts and graphs of the severity of the homelessness problem in the U.S. They also provide aid in the form of donations, volunteers, education, and information to those who want to help or support.

One innovative method to not only aid the problem of homelessness but also help them succeed in the next step of their lives by giving them employment. A Detroit based nonprofit organization developed the Empowerment Plan. This plan created a coat that also doubles as a sleeping bag and also gives them a job to create more of these coats. The coats costs $100 from a sponsor to make but the money goes also to the program. In the program which lasts about 2 years, people are given a 40 hour work week where they are taught how to make the coats. They are also given education similar to that of GED course. They also give them aid for better living, such as nutrition, domestic relations and financial advice for the next chapter of their lives.

In San Fransisco, starting in 2014 a nonprofit organization named Lava Mae. They take tour buses, gut them out and construct showers and bathrooms for those who do not have running water for themselves. They began with the philosophy of radical hospitality, giving their guests the most ideal experience and shower they can publicly get. Having access to a shower, they believe should be a basic human right which they seek to provide to everyone. They have expanded to Los Angeles and on their website they have instructions and information to how you can provide a bus in your local community.

In Seattle, people want to use technology to connect homeless people with their smartphones using an app. Johnathan Kumar created an app, called the GiveSafe App, that gives you information on any homeless person that has a a quarter size beacon on them. The person collects the beacon from any shelter and registers it to themselves with a picture and a small bio clip of themselves. In just a few clicks the person with the app can donate money to the homeless person and that person can use the money at certain stores or location. The money can be used for money, clothes, a haircut, or transportation. What Kumar wants to do is give people who give money to the less fortunate know that the money is going to go somewhere useful and eliminate the stigma of people asking or begging for money. This way homeless people can use the money to better their lives and hopefully get them to bounce back on their feet. The app is available on iOS and Android platforms.

Many social entrepreneurs and people in the U.S. are creating many valuable methods and strategies to help cut down the amount of homelessness in America.

The U.N. estimates there to be about 1.1 billion people suffering from homelessness. That’s about 14% of the world’s populations that do not have a roof over their head on a daily basis. Fortunately efforts around the world are being done in their respected countries to create opportunities to solve this issue.

In London a group named Busses 4 Homeless have been turning double decker busses for homeless people. The busses not only requires shelter for the people but the buses are intended for a 3 month period for the individual to help them reintegrate back into society. The buses are used to provide warm meals and a place for them to stay. Busses 4 Homeless also provides mentoring for these people such as teaching them soft and vocational skills to land them a job interview. They will also further the persons training once they get an interview in order for them to succeed. Even after the person leaves the busses they have the doors welcomed to them for further mentoring. Each bus fits 16 bunk beds and comfortable fits 40 people. The busses also have a full commercial kitchen on the lower levels and dining on the uppers. Some of the busses also have a full floor with computers for teaching and tutoring and some also have tables for yoga or wellness treatments. Their goal is to provide 14,600 people with a place to stay for the night and integrate them back to society.

Clear Channel Sweden is one of the largest outdoor marketing agencies across the world. Having countless displays across 30 countries and presenting messages to local communities to bring awareness of the weather or urgent news. In some of their locations once the temperature drops below 7 degrees Celsius (19 degrees F) they will provide instructions for homeless people to find shelters that will take them in. The display will show you how far the shelter is from their current location and directions how to get there. In Stockholm Sweden Clear Channel partnered with the local government in the ‘Out Of Home’ (OOH) Campaign to help those without shelter in the cold winter months. Clear Channel hope to implement these condition in the other locations around the world that have their displays.

In India, South and Southeast India an organization named billionBricks have created an irreversible tent named weatherHYDE for homeless people. In the cold seasons of the year the tents are designed to keep cold temperatures out. While in the hot seasons the tents have reflective panels meant to keep hot weather away from the canvas. billionBricks vision statement is to create solutions that are creative, scalable, and innovative opportunities to solve the problems poverty brings about. They have other designs than the tents that are in the works to better society in these impoverished areas of the world.

All around the world the problem of homelessness is a grand dilemma. Organizations like billionBricks, Clear Channel and Busses 4 Homeless are tackling the problem with their innovative and creative solutions. Any one can help by donating or volunteering. You can do your part and support these organizations by clicking and visiting their websites.

https://www.billionbricks.org https://buses4homeless.org

Many organizations are up and running to provide aid in those who do not have a home or shelter to call their own.

If you’re in the west coast of the US you can look up Kaiser Permanente. “Kaiser Permanente exists to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.” Their vision statement is “We are trusted partners in total health, collaborating with people to help them thrive and creating communities that are among the healthiest in the nation.” They are buying out apartment buildings to provide low rent housing in California for those in need. Doctors’ research has also concluded that without people having a decent place to live it is harder for them to recover once they get sick. If anything they get worse and this results to homeless people going to the emergency room for simple illnesses that got mistreated and could have been recovered if they had proper housing or somewhere to reside.

If you’re on the East Coast of the United States, more precisely in NJ, there is a great nonprofit organization called Jersey Cares which provide aid for those in need of supplies or assistance. The mission of the organization is to increase the level of meaningful volunteer engagement by creating and managing efficient, impactful projects that address critical community-identified needs. One of their biggest events is their Annual Jersey Cares Coat Drive. This previous year they collected 50,000 semi-used jackets and coats to give out to the less fortunate. If you’re too busy but want to help out, Jersey Cares provides many opportunities for anyone to donate time, make a donation or volunteer. They provide a calendar of all the events happening across New Jersey, the times the events start and end, and what you can do to help. Although Jersey Cares doesn’t directly involved with homelessness directly they provide aid to ultimately prevent homelessness, hunger, and poverty within NJ communities.

These two examples are just a few organizations that are aiding in the problem of homelessness. With their assistance and your help we can help our fellow citizens in their time of need. Everyone deserves a fresh start or even a second.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

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