How College Students Can Help End Homelessness in RVA
Homeward • Aug 24, 2018
Richmond, let's get involved!
Fall semester is kicking off this week for many of our local universities. If you are one of the thousands of college students in our region, Homeward welcomes you to the community.
Each year, we hear from college students who want to get involved with the work to end homelessness in our community. As many of you know, homelessness is a complex issue and cannot be solved by any one person or agency. That’s why we invite you to participate in our region’s collaborative approach to providing solutions to homelessness.
Here are four ways that students can get involved:
- Educate yourself and your student colleagues on best practices in homeless services.
Our region has a highly-developed, data-driven network of homeless service providers. The more you know about it, the better prepared you will be to help someone in need.
You can view the data that Homeward has collected on homelessness in greater Richmond on our website.
- Seek a volunteer or internship opportunity with a local homeless service organization.
Many homeless service organizations look for help with their programs during the academic year. Visit the HandsOn Greater Richmond website for volunteer opportunities and sign up for the connectva.org newsletter to stay up-to-date on internship openings.
- Support your local nonprofit homeless service organization.
We know that funds can be tight for a lot of students, but you can also support the work being done to end homelessness in Richmond by leading a donation drive through a student-led organization. Homeward is happy to help your organization identify the needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, as well as assist with getting the collected items into the hands of the people who need them.
- Connect people who are panhandling with helpful resources.
Many of you attend college in an urban setting where you will encounter people who will ask you for money or help. Visit the Homeward “Panhandling FAQs” webpage to learn more about this topic and understand the best ways to give help to those in need.
There is a lot of information in these links and we know you probably have questions. You can send questions to info@homewardva.org. Best of luck this semester! We look forward to connecting with you.
Richmond, VA – May 1, 2024 – Homeward – the planning agency for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC), a network of homeless service providers that deliver coordinated and compassionate solutions to homelessness in the Richmond region – will host its annual Best Practices Conference on Friday, May 3, 2024 at The Westin Richmond hotel in Henrico County.
From experiencing homelessness himself to now helping others who are going through similar crises, Choice East brings invaluable empathy and insight to his work at Homeward.
The last week of February, Homeward hosted a series of learning opportunities in a Best Practices in Youth Services Summit. Over two days, GRCoC partners, YAB members, and TA support staff delved into the core competency topics of youth services, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), prioritizing joy for young people, and federal grant regulations.
Unsheltered Homelessness Continues to Rise as Housing Instability Remains a Top Regional Issue.
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Access Versus Resources , Funding by The Numbers , and Keys to Helping More People .
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Access Versus Resources , Funding by The Numbers , and Supporting Frontline Staff .
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Access Versus Resources , Keys to Helping More People , and Supporting Frontline Staff .
This post is part of a series that explores the ways in which the Richmond region addresses homelessness and provides context on how our collaborative and regional network operates. You can access other posts in this series on Funding by The Numbers , Keys to Helping More People , and Supporting Frontline Staff.
Collecting reliable and consistent regional data about individuals and families experiencing homelessness is crucial in building an effective community-wide response.
On behalf of Homeward, we want to thank Mayor Levar Stoney, City Council President Michael Jones, Committee Chair and Councilmember Stephanie Lynch, all of the members of Richmond’s City Council, and the truly dedicated members of the City administration for making this significant and compassionate expansion of homeless assistance available. For 25 years, our community has come together across organizational and jurisdictional differences with a shared goal of reducing the crisis of homelessness.
Every donation counts.
Together, we can
end homelessness.
Useful Links
Contact info
info@homewardva.org
If you are within 3 days of losing housing, call The Homeless Connection Line: 804-972-0831 . If you are more than 3 days away from losing housing, call The Housing Resource Line: 804-422-5061