What Our Homeless Neighbors Actually Need (And How You Can Help Right Now)

There's a moment that happens every first and third Saturday morning when our crew loads up the trailer and heads out to the camps. It's early. It's sometimes cold. And without fail, they are greeted with smiles.

Not suspicion. Not aggression. Smiles.

If that surprises you, you're not alone — and that's exactly why we're writing this.

The Biggest Misconception About Homelessness

When people find out what The Purpose of Change does, one of the most common reactions we get is some version of: "Aren't you scared?"

It's an understandable question. Our culture has painted a picture of homeless communities as dangerous, unpredictable, or something to be avoided. But that picture doesn't match the reality our volunteers encounter every single time they show up.

The people living in these camps are kind. They are grateful. They are human beings who have been through incredibly difficult seasons of life — job loss, health crises, family trauma, addiction, mental illness — often a combination of things that compounded over time until they had nowhere left to turn.

They are not a threat. They are our neighbors. And they deserve to be treated as such.

What Showing Up Actually Looks Like

Every first and third Saturday, a dedicated crew of four to five volunteers from The Purpose of Change loads a trailer with donations and heads to local homeless camps to distribute supplies and serve a hot breakfast.

That's it. That's the whole thing. Show up, serve, repeat.

There's no complicated process. No gatekeeping. No judgment. Just a group of people who believe that consistency matters — that showing up again and again is how you build trust, and trust is how you create real change.

Over time, those Saturday mornings have become something our neighbors count on. And honestly? Something our volunteers count on too.

What They Need Right Now

As the seasons change, so do the needs of the people we serve. Right now we are transitioning our trailer from cold weather gear to warm weather donations — and there are two things we need most urgently:

Women's underwear — all sizes

Shoes — all sizes, all genders

These are the kinds of items that rarely make it onto a donation list but make an enormous difference in someone's daily life. Clean underwear and a pair of shoes that fit aren't luxuries. They're dignity.

We also gratefully accept:

• Clothing (warm weather)

• Tents and tarps

• Sleeping bags

• Non-perishable food items

• Dog food (yes — many of our neighbors have dogs, and those animals are beloved companions who need care too)

• 
  

How You Can Help

If you have items to donate, we would love to get them into the hands of people who need them. Coordinating a drop-off is easy — just reach out to us directly and we'll make it happen.

📧 Email: thepurposeofchange@gmail.com

📘 Facebook: Search The Purpose of Change and send us a message

If you don't have items to donate right now, sharing this post is one of the most powerful things you can do. Every share puts this in front of someone who might have a pair of shoes sitting in their closet that could change someone's day.

The Bigger Vision

What we do right now — the trailer, the hot breakfast, the Saturday mornings — is just the beginning.

The long-term vision of The Purpose of Change is to own a piece of land where we can provide temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness and offer them real skills training to help them get back on their feet. A place to land. A place to rebuild.

We're not there yet. But every donation, every volunteer hour, every shared post moves us closer.

Because we believe that nobody is too far gone. And nobody should be left behind.

The Purpose of Change is a nonprofit operating under The Robert Dick Foundation, dedicated to serving Northeast Ohio's homeless communities with dignity, consistency, and compassion.