Homeless shelter tips for first timers

[Hollow Point]

Sometimes the only option left to keep you from staying outside is shelters. I'm from Canada myself, so during the winter time, there isnt any better options for me. No car, no equipment or outdoor experience/knowledge, so I had to choose a shelter. I had no idea what to expect, and I've learned some things, so I'm going to share it. If you have any questions about shelter living, I'll do my best to answer them. keep in mind that these are from one persons experience, I do not know how shelters around the world work. If you have anything to add yourself, please do so.

• Do your research on the shelters around you and their rules. Most have similar rules, but you might find one that allows you to bring items in with you, or has options for laundry and such. You may also have to be registered before you are allowed to stay, so if you think you're going to use one, go during the daytime and see if they require any information before you find out when you show up at night.
• Don't trust anybody. The shelters in my area used to allow you to bring your items in with you. If this is the case, never ever leave your valuables alone. If you are going to the bathroom, take as much of your stuff as you can with you, even if it's just for a quick pee. Theft is a huge problem, and the workers there have absolutely zero ability to get your things back for you. Even making small talk can be dangerous. There will be people in there who are high/ coming down off drugs, and you never know what can trigger them to become angry. You're better off just keeping to yourself while you are there.
• Do not hang around the shelter areas during the daytime if possible. Think of it purely as a place to sleep, and then leave. I was lucky enough to be in a area where there was a charity that served breakfast lunch and dinner to the homeless. However, the line ups are long, so if you want to get all three meals, it kind of forces you to stay in the area. I would typically only show up for dinner. The area that the shelter is located will be a high risk area. You can find trouble completely unprovoked if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. If somebody is yelling, ignore them. If people are fighting, ignore them.
• I've gotten into fist fights simply for trying to help people. If you see somebody who is overdosing or is in need of help, be very cautious when deciding if you want to be the first responder. I did this myself, but it's not something I would recommend to somebody trying to keep themselves safe. Call the police, a crisis service, or inform the workers at the shelter there is somebody in need of help. If you do decide to approach them and help, always keep your guard up.I'm not trying to make it seem like all homeless are dangerous addicts or criminals, but there are certainly lots of them in a concentrated area around the shelters.
• If you are allowed items in the shelter, I recommend carrying a knife with you in your pocket. This is very much a "rather have one and not need it, then need it and not have it" thing. Only pull it out if your life is being threatened. You'll most likely never need it, but it's always a good idea to have something to protect yourself with. The shelter I was at took your items in a trash bag and patted you down before entry. This somewhat puts everyone on a even playing field, but people can still easily sneak things in. If you have a place to conceal it, and they perform a pat down, just tell them you forgot to put it with your things for the night.
• Keep yourself as clean as possible. Some shelters will have showers you can take. Although if you are able to find another option for showering, I highly recommend you use it. Shelters are far from clean institutions, especially the bathrooms. If you have to poop, cover the toilet seat with something or hover above it.
• If you are given a linen for your mat, make sure you use it, and get a new one as often as possible. The best way to keep them on your mat, is to lift your mat, and tie the sheet in a knot on both ends. If you don't, your sheet will end up hitting the floor. You most likely won't be given a pillow, so if you want head elevation, put items like your coat underneath the mat near your head. This is also a good place to keep your valuables if you have any, or if they let you keep them, or they don't offer storage.
• Sleeping will be difficult. People will snore, talk to themselves or others, make noises, and possibly be doing drugs. Ear plugs are an absolute necessity. They will not block out everything, but they will certainly help. You will eventually get used to the noise, but in the meantime, try to have something to help with the noise. You may not even be able to fall asleep at all. Avoid yelling at people to shut up, it's a battle you will not win. Noise is inevitable. If they do not offer storage and you have items with you, keep them on you, or near your head. Put a plastic bag overtop of anything you have laying next to you, so it prevents people from thinking about taking your stuff. It shows you are aware of that risk, and you have something set up that is noisy so they can't touch your things without possibly waking you up. Do not sleep with anything covering your eyes.
• Get there as early as possible. Sometimes you can avoid the line up, or be first in line. The faster you can try to sleep, the less interruptions you'll have before the swarm of people who come before last call. Getting in that line up can be intimidating at first, but you'll get used to it quickly.
• If the shelter kicks you out in the mornings, request a wake up call 30 mins before they turn the lights on and get out of there. You'll avoid the crowd of people. If you have to shower, request a wake up call 1-2 hours before they wake everyone up. (This is for people who have work, and if they take your cellphones/ you have no way to set an alarm) The line up for showers can be long during the night, you could miss bed check if they have a bed ticket system. It's always calmer in the mornings rather then the nights.
• Turn a blind eye to people you see breaking the shelter rules. People do not take kindly to others snitching on them. Telling the workers you saw somebody doing drugs is not going to make you any safer in the long run.
• Talk to the workers when you first get there, and get them to give you a rundown on how the place works. They deal with a lot of disrespect and are happy to be treated nicely. They may have items or food on hand periodically for you. You are told next to nothing about what the shelter can do for you when you first get there, you have to ask.
• If you are applying for work and you have no fixed address for your resume or application, use the shelters address. You can use any address you want, it's unlikely you'll be called out on it..and some employers might not like that you are staying at a shelter...but I find honesty is best. If anything happens to you, or you need to be contacted and you don't have a phone, at least your work actually knows where you can be found. You can also use the fact you are at a shelter as a indication you really need work and are still willing to put in effort even without a place to call home, some people would respect that. It's also a good idea to let the shelter know of any emergency contacts you have, if that was not covered during a registration you may had to have done. Also tell the shelter where you work.

Don't be afraid, shelters are still better then fighting hypothermia. I would recommend them as a last resort, but you could still use them and never have a problem during your stay. It's just good to be aware of the risks. Shelters are similar to jail in my opinion. The rules mine had, the way we were treated and talked to, it can be dehumanizing. Use this as motivation to get out of this situation. It's temporary if you have the drive and will and health to better yourself. If you are lucky enough to have the ability to work, spend every waking moment you have looking for it. Shelters are just there for sleep, I never considered my sleeping situation to be solved by them, just temporarily handled. Please let me know if your experience was different. Like I said, this is advice from one person, my advice could be completely irrelevant or misleading depending on where you are at, but i hope it makes at least one person more comfortable and aware of the situation they will be dealing with. If you have any questions or I missed something you'd like to know, I'll reply.
Stay safe

 

[Didymus]

Have you ever had to sleep outside?

 

[Hollow Point]

Have you ever had to sleep outside?

Yea a few times. If I couldn't get a spot at the shelter for awhile I will usually stay up all night and find places to have little naps during the day, inside. There is a small window of time here you could pull off sleeping outside fairly comfortably..but it's mostly winter here so sleeping outside is dangerous for multiple reasons. So is sleeping at a shelter..but I rather deal with it then fight hypothermia all night.

 

[Hollow Point]

A picture of a couple meals from different places. Some clearly feed better then others, and an idea of what you might be looking at if you're staying at a shelter.