How You Can Help People Experiencing Homelessness This Winter
Planning for how we serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness during the winter is a year-round effort, and you can be a part of it.
When does our region prepare for ways to serve individuals experiencing homelessness during harsh winter weather?
Winter planning is actually a year-round effort. Homeward staff holds an annual debriefing in April to discuss lessons from the previous winter. Planning efforts continue throughout the year and intensify among partner agencies within the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care – our region’s collaborative and compassionate network of homeless service providers and local governments – in September. GRCoC partners and Homeward staff have been working together to identify ways that we can serve more people during the winter season, which can be especially challenging for our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
How does our region support individuals and families experiencing homelessness during the winter?
GRCoC partner agencies work 365 days a year to support our most vulnerable neighbors in the Richmond region. Between July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026, the GRCoC served 8,436 people experiencing homelessness or within three days of losing their housing.
In our region, there are seven year-round shelters and dozens of homeless service programs that help individuals and families get on the pathway to a safe, stable, and permanent home. These services are available throughout the year, including during the winter months.
Even with these resources, the need for homeless services far outpaces our region’s current capacity to serve everyone. Winter can be an especially difficult time for those pushed into homelessness, which is why GRCoC partners and Homeward have participated in a series of planning meetings that center on logistics (such as opening timelines, transportation, staffing, and communication strategies), diversion options, case conferencing, and access to resources. These winter-specific coordination efforts take place alongside established weekly meetings among GRCoC partners to maximize impact.
What should I do if I see someone on the streets during the winter?
The best way to help connect someone experiencing unsheltered homelessness to services is to fill out the Notification of an Individual Sleeping Outdoors form to contact street outreach workers. You also can encourage them to contact the Homeless Connection Line by calling 804-972-0813.
How can I help?
Thank you for your interest in helping our most vulnerable neighbors! Check out this blog post about how we can move from good intentions to having an impact in addressing homelessness.
For winter specifically, there are five tangible ways that you can help individuals and families facing homelessness:
- Connect to Street Outreach: If you see someone experiencing unsheltered homelessness, fill out the Notification of an Individual Sleeping Outdoors form to contact street outreach workers. They’re trained to engage and support people living outside.
- Purchase Winter Supplies: Help us gather supplies for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. The Homeward team has created an Amazon wish list developed with our outreach partners.
- Share Resources: Helping people get information about resources can be a powerful way to support those in need. Homeward’s Housing Resource Card and The Street Sheet both offer extensive details on an array of housing and basic needs resources.
- Spread Accurate Information: Ensuring that accurate information is disseminated around the community is crucial to connect those in need with resources in a timely manner. The GRCoC hosts multiple training and events throughout the year. Check out the events calendar online. Specifically, we recommend two education sessions: Connection to Homeless Services and Housing Problem Solving.
- Donate: Consider donating to a GRCoC partner. A list of local nonprofits funded by the GRCoC or are partners on the Homeless Connection Line are online here.
