The Least of These: The Homeless

The Least of These: The Homeless. (Updated, 12/23/25)

“For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you made Me your guest, I needed clothes and you covered Me, I was sick and you took care of Me, I was in prison and you visited Me… Yes! I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least of these, you did them for Me!” (Jesus’ complete parable of the Sheep and the Goats is found in Matthew 25:31-46).

If there was one group of unfortunate people in America that are a combination of these situations mentioned above by Jesus, it would be homeless persons. They are hungry, thirsty, in need of clothing, without a home, physically sick, and imprisoned within their tragic life circumstance. If Jesus’ “least of these” were a multiple-choice question, then homeless people would provide the answer as “All of the Above.” The homeless crisis is only getting worse… As of October of 2025, there is a 35% increase in homelessness nationally. On January 1, 2025, there were over 770,000 homeless peoples in the U.S., an 18% increase from 2023. The homeless response workers report that they served 1.1 million people in 2024, a 12% increase from the year before. Included in the latest homelessness numbers is that there 450,000 homeless infants and toddlers, with the public schools reporting 1.4 million homeless children.

The tragedy of homelessness is well expressed in this lament by Joseph Shabalala and Paul Simon as they accompany the South African gospel group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1986):

Paul Simon – Homeless (from The Concert in Hyde Park)

Christ so closely identifies with those who suffer in the world that He somehow attaches Himself to each sufferer. He even thinks of the sufferer as “brethren” (v. 40), of being in the same family as Him. Jesus has adopted every needy person in the world. Jesus is present with the have-nots, the overlooked, the neglected in a spiritually meaningful way. Jesus knows what it’s like to suffer, He is familiar with pain and loneliness, He is acquainted with grief and shame. The Lord is saying that He is personally present with that person in the midst of his suffering. When you care for the needy, you therefore are caring for Christ as well. When you are serving the hungry in a soup kitchen, you are also filling the plate of Jesus. When you dress the wounds of a soldier on a battlefield, you are welcoming Jesus into the foxhole with you. When you visit a prisoner in his jail cell, you’ll find the top bunk belongs to Jesus. If you offer your home to a homeless person, better make sure that bedroom has twin beds. If you offer the shirt off your back to a half-naked man on the street corner, be aware that you are clothing Jesus in His “distressing disguise.” (Mother Teresa). The miserable have captured the heart of Jesus to the extent that He joins them in their misery. He is a presence in their poverty. Jesus so closely identifies with the needy that when you care for the poor, you care for Him, and when you ignore the needy, you ignore Him, to your peril.

“Every Christian ought to be a refuge.” (George MacDonald).

So how do we obey Jesus’ directives to minister to Him by ministering to those people in need? How do we care for Christ as He stands in complete solidarity with every homeless person we see on the sidewalk, under a bridge, in the park or standing on a busy street corner? To love someone, to demonstrate God’s compassion for a person in this type of drastic need, we do what is best for that person, not necessarily what we might choose to do or what even that needy person would choose for us to do for him or her. When we love someone, we try to do what is best for that person’s well-being, whether they want us to or not. Perhaps the Golden Rule is relevant here… We need to ask ourselves, if I was a homeless person, how would I want to be cared for, even if I don’t know what is best for my welfare?

Billy the Bum John Prine with Lyrics

If I were a homeless person, I would want others to see me as a once-vintage home designed by a famous architect, a classic copy of the best home in town. But then, I would want them to look upon me now as a run-down mansion that has not been maintained and needs to be repaired so it reflects its original beauty and usefulness, renovated into all its original glory. If the homeless person was imagined to be a soon-to-be condemned home, then a major home improvement plan is called for. And if I had any voice in how I was to be renovated, I would want the builders to start with:

The Leaky Roof. The first order of business would be to fix the leaky roof of this dilapidated mansion, because that major repair would enable all the other needed repairs to take place. The homeless person, whether he wants it or not, needs to have those gaping holes repaired in his personal house by removing the drug addiction and by treating the mental illness, probably both at the same time. The vast majority of homeless persons have an addiction or have a mental illness or both. In repairing the life of a homeless person, the carpenters need to start there. A person in the throes of addiction or mental instability can be placed in a nice clean apartment, but unless the roof is fixed in the homeless person’s broken-down house of a life, the “affordable housing” doesn’t really work for long. If the homeless person is troubled in major ways outside of a nice apartment, those troublesome aspects don’t magically disappear when moving into a new housing space. When abstinence-based housing is offered in the context of drug rehab and mental health treatment, the beginnings of an effective construction project have begun in earnest…. no longer merely damaged goods:

Preview YouTube video David Larson: Damaged Goods

The Unstable Walls. Each homeless person has a set of support beams that enable the homelessness to continue, and these load-bearing walls need to be replaced by sturdy 2 x 4 studs. The rotting walls and infrastructure need to be replaced by the guts of services and personal qualities that, instead of supporting addiction and mental instability, strengthen the homeless person with hope and resilience: a focused attention on PTSD evaluations and treatment due to childhood trauma, war-time stress, or whatever has the homeless person vulnerable to mental and physical difficulties; opportunities for the homeless person to accomplish something personally meaningful, no matter how minor, something that will help the person gain some confidence, shed the feelings of victimhood, and gain a sense of dignity as a sacred human being made in God’s image; provide tutoring and academic support to try to compensate for the usually inferior education they have received; help each person find something positive and healthy to look forward to and reduce feelings of helplessness; establish a web of relationships, a supportive community that would strengthen the homeless person and consistently encourage that person to take forward-moving steps of life improvement with a cheering section all along the way; address the persistent habit of desiring freedom and independence at the cost of health and well-being, since so many homeless persons have the deeply entrenched, self-defeating desire to live in a way that doesn’t have to take orders from someone else; take a baseline of physical health so there is dietary help and medical treatment where needed; mentoring that would help that homeless person find purpose and meaning in this life and beyond through pastoral care, Bible study, prayer, enabling that person to discover life purpose and satisfaction in Jesus Christ. If a homeless person has become hopeless and says to himself, “My life ain’t worth a damn,” is there someone nearby who can say in response, “Don’t fool yourself… God loves you and so do I, so your life is worth a lot more than a damn!”

The Weak Floorboards. Without a proper education in early life, a person doesn’t have a sturdy floor to stand or walk upon. A good education prepares a person to function well, to think clearly, to make good decisions, and be eligible for satisfying and self-supporting work in adulthood. This part of the construction project of a homeless person’s life is more long-term and more preventative. Providing solid educations would help prevent homelessness in the future. Those who have experienced an inferior education are not prepared for a life of responsible independence and healthy self-support. If there is one aspect of American society that is indeed systemically racist, it is too many of the public-school systems across the country. Children who are allowed to graduate unable to read or write or do basic math are limited in what they can accomplish in the modern world. Some of the public school systems are doing their best in trying circumstances, but too many are conducting a criminal enterprise by releasing students who are merely functionally illiterate at best, or completely illiterate at worst. The floorboards of the homeless person’s life house need to be replaced or repaired so they are worthy to be walked upon and make life livable.

It Takes More Than a Hammer and Nails to Make a House a Home

The Crumbling Foundation. Once the building inspector carefully looks at the leaky roof with its addictions and mental instability, and the unstable walls that actually enable the holes to remain in the roof, and the weakened floorboards that are barely able to hold up a person’s ability to live life with intelligence and discernment, then we finally get to the true source of the broken-down life of the homeless person….. the family life in childhood that does not consider each child in the home to be a gift and not a burden. The home life that would prevent homelessness would have both mom and dad as present and effective (90% of homeless/runaway children come from fatherless homes); parents who are healthy role models to provide examples for the child on how to live life successfully; provide a stable place where each child is secure and finds his parents trustworthy; no drugs or unhealthy habits in the home; a combination of loving nurture and firm accountability in which the child lives securely in a refuge of care; prepare the child for learning through early read-alouds, exposure to many books while keeping screen use to a minimum, frequent participation in meaningful discussions; and a Christ-centered home in which the child is able to mature with a sense of life purpose and meaning. It may be too late to provide a healthy home for the homeless adult, but perhaps a second home of love and respect can be provided. But it’s certain that a foundation provided now for children in the home will go furthest to preventing homelessness in the future.

And now a classic Tom Waits song that he dedicated to some homeless boys he observed on “the Nickel,” 5th Street in LA, commonly known as Skid Row:

Tom Waits: On the Nickel

Remembering the Shining Star for the Least of These. One of the greatest saints of the 20th century, one of its brightest shining lights, was Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She came to base her whole calling on this particular parable. Her vision was to serve Jesus in the poorest of the poor on the desperate streets of Calcutta, India. She sought to “satiate the thirst of Jesus by serving Him in the poorest of the poor.” Her Order, the Missionaries of Charity, literally saw God in the poor, they perceived a spiritual reality in the poor. She longed to “bring joy to the suffering heart of Jesus,” and saw the face of Jesus in the destitute and dying. To her dying breath, she held fast to the words, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” These words seemed to summarize the Gospel for her. She taught her fellow missionaries what she called “Gospel on five fingers” – You-did-it-to-me – one word for each finger. In the words of one of her biographers, she wanted her missionaries to “always remember the poor – not only to respect the dignity of the child of God in each one, but also to realize the supernatural reality of God’s presence in each of them.”

No Simple Answers! Baby Steps in Addressing an Overwhelming Crisis:

Genesis – Man On The Corner (1981) lyrics

Are there adequate drug rehab centers in the community?
Are there adequate mental health facilities in the community?
Are there needs for a family homeless shelter focused on needs of moms and children?
Are there easily accessible out-patient counseling services?
Are there easily accessible safety nets in the community for immediate needs such as facilities to provide food, clothing, showers, bathrooms, health care?
Are there adequate law enforcement efforts to protect the public such as matters regarding public decency, hygiene, drug use, harassment of pedestrians, interference with local businesses, protection of buildings, cars and homes?
Are there apprenticeships and job training opportunities?
Is there a clearing house for entry level work placements?
Is there a literacy program and GED tutoring?
Are there affordable housing possibilities once someone is ready for responsible independence?
Is there a willingness in the community to support homelessness services, such as a collaboration between churches, private citizens, government services, nonprofit agencies, all the political parties, etc.?
Is there a concerted effort to impeding or even stopping the inflow of illegal drugs into the community?
Is there the legal freedom to provide involuntary commitment and compulsory treatment for the homeless person’s own well-being as well as in the interests of public safety and welfare?
Are there efforts to address the needs of those in transition who have nowhere to go, such as foster kids who have aged out at 18 yrs old, or housing for ex-offenders released from prison, or mental health patients who have been cleared from a facility?
Who is going to pay for all this… the new drug rehab centers, the new mental health treatment facilities, the family shelters, the abstinence-based housing, the ongoing health care, educational services, counseling support systems, parent training programs, pastoral care, and all the survival needs for food, water, clothing, etc. If ever there was a time for a partnership of federal and state governments, nonprofit agencies, local public services, and private citizen donations, and volunteer involvement, this is it. If ever there was a time for millionaires and billionaires to personally invest in their community and forego their yachts and third homes, this is the time.

Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care of Our Own (Official Video)

Specific Suggestions from a Director of a Successful Homeless Ministry in Las Vegas, NV:

It seems wisest to call the facility for the homeless a “Center” and not a “Shelter.” Those living on the street do not consider themselves in need of shelter as much as in need of a center which has lot of services to help them.

1. This list is what I used to develop a purchase list for one of our homeless events. As you can see, things like soap and shampoo are not on this list. It’s for two reasons: first, that without water, they’re basically useless on the streets and no homeless person is going to waste bottled water on a shower; second, any facility that would provide complimentary showers will likely also provide complimentary soap and shampoo, but they’re unlikely to have lotion for them. Also, hand sanitizer isn’t on the list. If someone is dirty, sanitizer gets gummy and sticky when combined with the layers of dirt on their skin and really doesn’t help much.

Most requested items: (items with an asterisk are most requested):

*2 pairs of thick wool socks
*Pair of thick gloves
Nail clippers
Large bandages

Triple antibiotic ointment
Comb/brush
*Hand lotion
*Lip balm
Small face towels
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Wet wipes
Maxi pads/tampons
Chewable multivitamins
Tissues
Disposable Water bottles
Beef jerky
Tuna salad and cracker packs
Peanut butter cracker packs
*Protein bars
Raisins/craisins
Soft Mints
Small flashlight
Pocket rain poncho
A handwritten personal note of encouragement
*Pocket Bibles
*Journal and pen

*blankets

*backpacks

Interestingly, they are very excited to get Bibles and journals. People who are at rock bottom are desperate for a ray of hope, and even in drugged up or manic states, often want to express themselves. I would suggest journals that do not have lines, drawing is a simple way for them to process their deeper and more complicated thoughts and emotions.

2. Wound care: One of the most common problems when living on the street is the infections that can occur from small cuts, bruises that won’t go away, scrapes that become problematic, or anything else that basic wound care could help with. Often nurses or paramedics will donate time, especially if they’re furthering their education because volunteer hours are typically required. I suggest creating a “Wound Care Wednesday” type set up where the homeless know that they can show up and get their bandages changed or their infections treated.

3. Disability, drug treatment, or work-force reentry paperwork: this is one of the most difficult things for the homeless to get help with. The programs that typically help with this are in larger cities, so for a smaller city in North Carolina, you will likely need to reach out to one of those larger city’s programs to see if somebody can come by once a week for a couple of hours and offer those services. A huge portion of the homeless have legitimate disability cases that would assist them with provisions, housing, food, or simply money to help them get back on their feet. Some of them may be interested in drug treatment facilities, which can be free depending on the state laws. And some of them may also be interested in finding temporary work that will at least keep them busy or help them with the next steps. This kind of paperwork, for all three concerns, is extremely complicated, very lengthy, has waiting periods, and confusing regulations that the common homeless person would have a difficult time navigating. You might need to assign a single volunteer to just investigate this one issue and see what services are already being offered in North Carolina and how you can extend those to your new facility.

4. Mailboxes: you’ll have to check with the post office about what requirements they have for you to create a PO Box system, but because the homeless have no permanent address, they are in desperate need of locations where they can get free mailboxes. Again, this will require a little bit of research with the federal regulations and guidelines. But it is something that a lot of homeless centers have been implementing.

5. Showers: One of the Salvation Army centers here in Las Vegas has an enclosed outdoor shower with free soap and shampoo that the homeless can sign up for. The sign-up sheet is essential because you would need to be able to account for how much water is being used and how much of the shampoo and soap is needed on a regular basis. It’s surprising, but not a whole lot of people take advantage of this. Mental illness and uncleanliness tend to go hand and hand, especially if someone is manic. They just don’t care if they are clean. But it’s something to consider if the costs are not too extravagant.

6. Security: unfortunately, violence and mental illness can go hand-in-hand as well. Desperate people can do desperate things so some form of security is typically needed. Depending on the size of the facility, a couple of guys who make the rounds and are large enough to remove unruly people should be enough.

7. Lockable bins: Think of it like a military foot locker. The homeless would have to sign up for this as well. They would put anything that they would want to keep permanently in a bin and as long as they come back once every six months, nothing is removed. I’ve seen some centers that have a large garage area where all the bins are stacked with little plastic identification cards on the front so that we can find a bin and bring it to a person if they need to get something out of it.But whoever is managing the bins would need to look at all the items that the homeless want to put in there, to make sure there is no drug paraphernalia, no trash, and no weapons. This has become a great way to keep track of specific homeless people and how they are doing. For things like family photos or valuable trinkets, they tend to come back and then you can help with other things like if they need wound care or assistance with something else.

8. Counseling: this is perhaps the most impactful potential assistance, and I saved it for last for that reason. For almost anyone going through a psychology degree, a psychiatry degree, or a counseling certification, there are required volunteer hours in order to graduate. I would recommend finding every program within an easy driving distance from where you’re going to be located and seeing if you can do a quick presentation to the incoming classes, complete with handouts, showing what the homeless Center is providing, and the desperate need for volunteers to do Counseling services for them. Almost every homeless person I’ve spoken to knows that their mind is at the heart of the issue. They’re too embarrassed to talk to their peers on the streets or to volunteers in a larger setting. But if they know that they can walk into a particular room and there will be someone there to listen to them and see about finding practical options to their situation and mental assistance with what has been tormenting them, they not only take advantage of it, but it tends to propel them towards more viable progress towards reentry into regular life.

9. Abstinence-Based Housing. There are very practical reasons for it to be abstinence-based… The insurance companies will not insure the shelter if it is not abstinence-based, or if they do it will be exorbitantly more expensive than if it is abstinence-based. So it’s primarily a financial issue, as well as what is actually best for the homeless person.

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