Feeding homeless people is also a form of praxis. Even if you aren’t arming for the revolution, you are still contributing to fighting against capitalism.
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To add onto this:
Most cities often have a group that renders mutual aid directly to those most in need, and they would love your help. Food Not Bombs is the most well known, and they have an index you can search to find one local to your area.
If you don’t have one in your area, you and some friends could start your own Food Not Bombs chapter instead! Alternatively, a local church who is already assisting the homeless can be a good place to find an established group, even if you’re not religious.
For people in need while on your way to work or the grocery store, assembling Care Packages can allow you to immediately render useful aid. The contents of a care package will be determined by your area and the needs of the people you’re looking to give them to. Chatting with a person in need and asking them what would be most helpful to them is one of the best ways to narrow down the essentials, and avoid things that won’t actually be of much use.
But there are generally a few universal things that will always be appreciated.
🔻 General Care Package Contents 🔻
- Socks! - This is often the most requested aid, as they prevent blisters, and wear quickly due to constant use and frequent walking. Used socks are fine as long as they’re washed and clean. For colder or wet climates, wool socks are vastly preferred, as they have anti-bacterial properties, and still provides warmth even when wet.
- Hygiene supplies - Things like a bar of soap (with sealable bag to store it when wet), deodorant, babywipes, a washcloth, toothbrush and paste, rinseless body wipes, comb.
- Menstrual hygiene supplies.
- Over-the-counter Medical supplies - Painkillers, bandages, antibiotic ointment, rubbing alcohol.
- Calorie-dense non-perishable food - This often takes the form of canned foods (ensure they have a pull tab!), protein bars, or dehydrated fruits. Try to avoid hard or crunchy food, as it’s possible the person you’re trying to help may have active dental issues that may not allow them to chew those types of foods. Softer foods are preferred.
- Electrolyte drinks or drink packets - Especially needed in hotter climates where electrolyes will be constantly lost through sweat, and can be life threatening if not replaced. Ones with sugar tend to have more calories, but may not be usable by those with diabetes, so it may be a good idea to have some with alternative sweeteners as well.
- Money - Cash can drastically increase the quality of life of someone without access to an income, and allow them to obtain the things they need most when they need it. Any amount you can afford is useful.
- Backpacks - If they don’t already have one, a backpack is generally much appreciated to help carry around the supplies in your care package. You can often find them used at thrift stores.
- Petfood - Catfood is preferable to dogfood, as catfood can be eaten by either dogs or cats, while the same can sometimes not be true for dogfood. People with a pet companion will be quite grateful.
- Resealable Waterproof bag - Something like a large ziplock so that they have a waterproof place to protect their supplies.
Lastly, if you have access to a printer, try to include a page of resources such as a list of local mutual aid groups where they can obtain more help in the future, along with their address and times that they operate. On the opposite side, a map of your area and any local public transit routes and timetables would also likely be useful.
Remember, any revolutionary organization that does good for their community is inherently contributing towards the class consciousness of their community. It helps shatter the myth that the capitalist gives bread and provides a direct path for said organization to also provide other services such as a theory reading group.
The single most useful thing you can contribute is your self, your time and energy. There’s a powerful, universal need to know and be known, and in the process of meeting it you’ll get a direct sense of what material needs you can best help meet yourself. I helped with paperwork/minor repairs to get three different crews set up in abandoned beaters I saw walking around last year. You don’t have to be homeless to walk into the warming shelter and just start participating. Cannot recommend it enough, especially if you’re feeling isolated or getting too much screen time. You are wanted, you are needed, and you can be someone’s hero.
Not to be pedantic, but assuming you are purchasing that food isn’t it still contributing to capitalism? Therefore, also grow your own food and share with those in need
Edit: I’m not saying this in a defeatist manner, but simply that if the point is to reduce contributing to capitalism, buying someone a McDonald’s meal still contributes.
Help feed your local unhoused folks either way.
Redistributing wealth is redistributing wealth. Just because you’re doing it within the systems your born into doesn’t make that any less true.
That being said if you can prepare fresh meals from home grown veggies, fucking go for it!
I feel like that falls under “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”.
We could take this further. Where are you getting the seeds? Was a purchase from a capitalist source anywhere in the chain of the history of the plant’s ancestors? Are these distant offspring of monsanto seeds? Does that make it worse, or better if you didn’t pay for yor your own seeds but sourced them a different way?
Very fair, and to be clear I’m not arguing that perfect be the enemy of good enough here.
Interesting considerations in your hypotheticals, I’m sure it depends on your perspective
There’s also more than just growing your own and sharing it. We’ve got a community garden, underground farmer’s market, and crop-share programs in my area, and those are also great options.
Tell me more about this underground farmer’s market? I haven’t heard of this concept. I’m working on reviving the community garden in my area, and unfortunately crop-sharing farms have all fallen apart near me.
Haha, it’s just an ad hoc thing that gets set up in the park every summer. No licenses, no permits, no advertising, just garden fresh veg in ziplock baggies in exchange for cash.
The real farmer’s market is a half hour drive away, and this is just a nice little cottage industry for people who don’t sell enough to justify booth fees and paperwork at the real one, but want to make some money back on their home garden.
Very cool, thank you for the lesson
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
Food not bombs prioritizes food that wouldn’t be sold like day old baked goods and produce that’s still fine to eat, but is no longer fresh enough that people will buy it.
assuming you are purchasing that food
So far in my city there has been enough food waste from groceries and supermarkets that the primary limitation is labor. That is to say, you get way more food per hour of labor (skip, maintaining a kitchen, food prep, and distribution) by working outside of capitalism than working within capitalism.
I imagine the same holds for most places in the western world, if there were enough people to sustainably work the entire chain. Though maybe skipping is more dangerous in other jurisdictions.
You suck dude, and have very clearly never grown your own food or provided for yourself. Get out more, that kind of ideological “purity” doesn’t hold up to sunlight well
I see how this comes across as me arguing “if you can’t beat capitalism, it’s not worth trying.” But I’m really just saying do both. Help your unhoused, and also try to do so in a way that does not contribute to capitalism.
You should really relax though, this personal attack is not very solarpunk of you.
keep it lighthearted
feeding the hungry is a joy
and/or within our server’s ideals
For when you need a laugh
Currently 49 upvotes, 3 downvotes. An admin of the server has contributed, and as per my quote it fits the rules. I think the community has decided…
Maybe don’t browse a politically active server if you don’t wish to see anything politics adjacent.
I don’t mind seeing political articles, but political “memes” are all awful. So yeah I left the community.
