Emptiness And Caffeine

FOOD

Find your nearest food bank or mission, for food

grocery stores with free samples, bakeries + stores with day-old bread

different fast food outlets have cheaper food and will generally let you hang out for a while.

some dollar stores carry food like cans of beans or fruit

SHELTER

Sleeping at beaches during the day is a good way to avoid suspicion and harassment

sleep with your bag strapped to you, so someone can’t steal it

Some churches offer short term residence

Find your nearest homeless shelter

Look for places that are open to the public

A large dumpster near a wall can often be moved so that flipping up the lids creates an angled shelter to stay dry

HYGIENE

A membership to the YMCA is usually only 10$, which has a shower, and sometimes laundry machines and lockers.

Public libraries have bathrooms you can use

Dollar stores carry low-end soaps and deodorant etc.

Wet wipes are all purpose and a life saver

Local beaches, go for a quick swim

Some truck stops have showers you can pay for

Staying clean is the best way to prevent disease, and potentially get a job to get back on your feet

Pack 7 pairs of socks/undies, 2 outfits, and one hooded rain jacket

OTHER

first aid kit

 sunscreen

 a travel alarm clock or watch

 mylar emergency blanket

 a backpack is a must

 downgrade your cellphone to a pay as you go with top-up cards

 sleeping bag

 travel kit of toothbrush, hair brush/comb, mirror

 swiss army knife

Going on 6 months homeless now and have to say PLEASE search online for your local resources immediately. Even within the same county, I reached out to maybe 20 resources before being able to get into a shelter. The one that helped me was a mental illness and substance use recovery nonprofit that told me which homeless outreach division to contact. Where I live, these are departments within local police. I was eventually placed in the shelter I’m currently in through that roundabout way.

On top of that, I only found out about the nonprofit that gave me that advice because a mental health org i was already familiar with.

The shelters in my county are always full and there are multiple. From what I’ve seen, there are always more beds for men than women too, so your gender identity will shape your odds too.

I was in inpatient and residential for a month and was released to live in my car. Even while at a shelter now, the housing navigators never find places for residents and the only hope people have is through external case managers through their insurance or the og plan: moving in with a partner or family. With the latter, I’m seeing like 4 adults and 3 kids in 2 bedrooms.

Idk, this is a long rant but in short: everything is region dependent. Going to food banks didn’t work for me because besides fruit and PB it was all things that needed microwaving at minimum.

In my situation, these things were key:

I intentionally bought my car for car camping when i chose it. The months living in my car would have been even worse if it wasn’t a hatchback.

I was able to donate plasma to get cash quick, a out $80/week in average. But I didn’t get those funds if I wasn’t getting enough protein and ended up deferred

SNAP/EBT/food stamps were most important because my state offers a special program that allows homeless people to use their ebt at restaurants that will accept it.

Everything is 100x harder with ADHD in terms of sticking to a schedule and getting things done. You don’t realize how great it is to be able to leave your toothbrush on a bathroom counter or hang an outfit for the next day on your door until you don’t have those options anymore. I miss having a desk the most

I was able to continue my healthcare plan due to loopholes with my transition from employer’s hmo to state health insurance. This was a MAJOR privilege for me. The hospitals that accept the state insurance are often slow with really subpar care. Broken bones not treated correctly etc.

Free unlimited monthly cellphone service with data (i use the hotspot to do homework)

Access to college resources like the basic needs center

Free entry to local gardens and museums for two adults when i show my ebt card

Discounted Amazon Prime with ability to use ebt to buy eligible foods on there (this has been so helpful for me when I’ve been sick as they deliver to the shelter too)

Medical meals covered through state insurance+snap for me

Plastic freezer bags are your friends. Keep a wet washcloth in a baggie for quick touch-ups to your hands and face when you don’t have access to a restroom. Keep a bar of soap in a baggie (way lighter and less obvious than a bottle of liquid body-wash) with a washcloth or two for quick, discrete clean-ups in bathrooms. Toothbrush? Baggie. Anything that can spill or melt? Baggie.

Baking soda! If you’re living in your car, an open box of baking soda will keep it smelling fresh. Drop a pinch in your shoes to keep foot-funk away. Don’t have deodorant? Wash your pits with a little dab of baking soda on the washcloth. It will help keep odor down.

If you’re on foot: a small tent, a church-key can opener, and one pot can really keep you going. Public parks often have BBQ grills; you can gather fallen sticks from nearby wooded areas, fill one corner of the grill with those and use them for fuel for a single meal. Open cans, take the label off, and put them directly on the grill. Stir frequently, and cover your hand with cloth before scooching off the heat. Let cool until it’s safe to handle, and enjoy.

Check resale shops like Goodwill- they almost always have cheap pots/silverware/dishes. Sometimes sleeping bags and camping gear, as well.

Most grocery stores throw away their bread and baked goods at the end of the day, even though they’re still good. Lots of things get tossed that are still perfectly safe- canned goods with dents, things which have reached their sell-by date, etc. If you watch, you can figure out when the food gets disposed of, and snap it up. Also, many churches have food lockers- kind of like a little free library, but for food and personal care items. Learn their locations and use them as needed. When you’re back on your feet, fill them up for the next person who is on hard times.

Libraries and coffee shops are great places to hang out for free WiFi, restroom access, and being out of the weather. Just move around every few hours or rotate days so you don’t get harassed.

The Buy Nothing Project and Freecycle (for free things others don’t need, probably easier to use if you have a set address or can pick up)

Feeding America (the network of US food banks, will help you find your local organization)

Little Free Pantry map of locations (boxes of free food left out accessible without any paperwork barriers to access)

Falling Fruit (map of urban & rural food harvest locations)

National Map of Gleaning & Food Recovery Organizations (more possible local resources)

Map of community garden locations (folks may be willing to share, esp. in exchange for help)

Database of US/Canada Sikh gurdwaras (these houses of worship offer free Punjabi meals, no religious requirement, I have been told)