Mentor A Promise

  Photo Credit: guy2men - stock.adobe.com If you are at all like the authors of this blog post, your heart breaks when you see someone braving traffic just to beg a few meager dollars from indifferent passersby. You may have reached for your wallet but stopped when you remembered that old refrain, which we shall not repeat here. But is there any truth to it? This blog post will examine whether you should ever hand a homeless person money on the streets of New York City.  Is It Wrong to Give Money to a Homeless Person?  According to one school of thought, which includes the late Pope Francis, it is not wrong to give homeless people money directly and it is none of our business how it is spent. To give the other argument some credit, it is true that around 38 percent of homeless people abuse alcohol and approximately 26 percent abuse other substances. [ 1 ] These illnesses may not be readily apparent. However, the overwhelming majority of this population, which includes tho...

  Photo Credit: New Africa - stock.adobe.com Some of those reading this blog post might have been the recipients of hand-me-downs passed along from older siblings who’d outgrown them. While there is nothing wrong with frugality, giving a child clothes that are ill-fitting, uncomfortable, warped, stained or clearly used can negatively affect said child’s self-esteem and their social standing. Indeed, this is one of the ways in which homeless individuals stand out from their peers. This blog post will discuss whether good, clean clothes can help the homeless in New York City.  Do Homeless New Yorkers Benefit from Good, Clean Clothes?  Along with food, water and shelter, clothing is a basic necessity. The right clothes can keep you warm in the winter and comfortable in the summer. But the benefits go much deeper than that. Homeless people are often stigmatized for their appearance, including their worn and heavily used clothing. This is especially true of homeless children, ...

  Photo Credit: rangizzz - stock.adobe.com The official start of summer is only a few weeks away, but it’s already growing quite hot in the streets of New York City. Excessive heat, made worse by the effects of climate change, is not just uncomfortable, it can be deadly, especially for the most vulnerable members of our society. This blog post will discuss the dangers of heat on the homeless population of New York City as well as resources they may use to cool off.  Why Are Extreme Heat Events More Dangerous for Homeless New Yorkers?  Even for the healthiest New Yorkers, extreme heat events tax their physical, mental and emotional well-being. However, certain conditions place some groups in greater danger. Those experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable, because they often experience multiple risk factors simultaneously. According to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System , these risk factors include, but are not limited to, the following:  In...

  Photo Credit: Puttachat - stock.adobe.com Wherever you first heard it, chances are that you have encountered some variation of the phrase, “He who saves a single life, saves the world entire.” This ages-old precept may sound cliché, but there is truth to it. And one of the easiest and most effective means of saving a life is by exhibiting basic humanity and compassion. This blog post will discuss the power of kindness and the effect it can have on New York City’s homeless population. What Does It Mean To Be Kind?  Before we delve any further, we want to stress that kindness is separate from niceness. The latter involves a generally appealing and inoffensive nature, which will change from culture to culture. For example, your definition of a “nice” boy or girl might differ from your grandmother’s. Kindness is something much more profound and universal. It involves curiosity about and empathy for our fellow travelers and their struggles as well as actions taken to relieve some...

Photo Credit: runrun2 - stock.adobe.com This blog post will discuss addiction among the homeless population of New York City, its most susceptible victims and the available resources. How Do The Homeless Become Addicted in New York City?  Even the most fortunate people in our society need to unwind, maybe even escape, from the harsh reality of day-to-day living. Depending on your interests, one may find escape through the arts, sports and physical activities, socializing with friends and family, or any of a myriad of ways. Though we should stress that not anywhere near every homeless person uses narcotics or other intoxicating substances, many use them to escape their daily pain much as their more fortunate counterparts would do by watching a favorite movie or playing a neighborhood game of football.  How Common Is Drug Addiction Among the Homeless Population in New York?  The exact numbers will never be known due to the secretive nature of addiction and how little attent...

Photo Credit: leonidkos - stock.adobe.com Throughout these blog posts, we have endeavored to paint a portrait of the true face of homelessness. Constant readers will know that anyone may, through one or more misfortunes, become homeless. This blog post will discuss the growing trend of working homeless in New York City as well as some resources they may use.  How Can You Be Homeless in New York City If You Are Working?  As mentioned in previous blog posts, there are many reasons why someone might become homeless, including domestic violence, fires and natural disasters. At the same time, wages have not kept up with the rising cost of rent and other living expenses. To afford those expenses requires an average household salary of $46,967, or $23 per hour. [ 1 ] As of 2025, the minimum wage in New York is $16.50. [ 2 ]  How Many New Yorkers Are Working and Homeless? Studies have shown that the majority of homeless adults in America have jobs. [ 3 ] In New York City specific...