Help for the Homeless
At Joppatowne Christian Church, we follow Jesus’ command to care even for those who have been marginalized by our society. We’re involved with Harford County’s Hope for the Homeless Alliance and we also have our own homeless care ministry which includes packing kits with essentials like socks, blankets, food, and hygiene products that we can keep in our cars in case we find an individual in need.
In our kits, we also include literature that points people who have needs to government resources so they can find shelter and programs that can guide them into assistance to find housing, medical attention, and work.
You can join us or do that yourself. Here are links to various resources that we use.
- Homeless Kit Packing List Ideas
- The Portland Rescue Mission has a packing list poster you can print out if you’d ever want to do a similar event at your church
How to approach a potentially homeless individual
Street Cards
A great thing to include in these kits are what is called a “street card,” which list the addresses and phone numbers of local resource centers. You can print these out for the area(s) in which you live and work:
- Harford County
- Baltimore County
- Baltimore City– NOTE: Many times, those experiencing homelessness in our area will move between Baltimore County and Baltimore City. For practicality, we’ve found it helps to print the street cards for both on the same page, with Baltimore County on one side and Baltimore City on the other.
211
Most of the information contained in the street cards can also be found by contacting the United Way Helpline– 211. For the 211 number, anyone in need can call it 24/7 and be connected with help on the spot. The 211 number is also included on the Harford County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City Street Cards.
- 211 Information
- Other areas: In case someone sees someone outside Baltimore, many other cities have similar hotlines. For example, in New York you can call 311 (or download a 311 app for your phone) where volunteers will contact individuals in need to attempt to offer government-funded shelter or other help.
Other Harford County Resources
All homeless screening begins at the Harford Community Action Agency. This is the first place to look for help!
Harford Community Action Agency
Supportive Services Division
1321-B Woodbridge Station Way
Edgewood, MD 21040.
Phone: 443-456-3629
Fax: 443-456-3631.
Places to Get Food
If you know an individual, homeless or not, who needs food in our county, you can use this list to find available food pantries.