Erica SmithMar 223 minDon’t pass out pizza at the library...and still help people who are homelessWith the weather starting to warm soon, we will see more people who are homeless staying outside. There are a lot of reasons for that and...
Erica SmithMar 164 minSocial distancing while homeless: why shelters need your helpHelping Hands of Springfield has implemented protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our clients, and in solidarity with our en...
Erica SmithMar 152 minHelping Hands' COVID-19 policyPolicy to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Effective March 15, 2020 through March 22, 2020 (unless amended before then) To preven...
Erica SmithFeb 132 minHow you can help in brutal weather (and every day of the year)The generosity of people in Springfield never ceases to amaze us at Helping Hands –every day of the year. When the weather gets dangerous...
Erica SmithJan 182 minIn Sickness and In ShelterRemember the last time you were really sick? One minute you were feeling a little funny; 15 minutes later you’re collapsed in a chair won...
Erica SmithJan 32 minFacing HomelessnessThe following is the curatorial statement for the exhibit Facing Homelessness, which opens at 5:30 p.m. at the Springfield Art Associatio...
Erica SmithDec 18, 20192 minWhy we must observe Homeless Persons Memorial DayIn 2019, here in Springfield, Illinois, 13 people who were homeless died. On Thursday, December 19, we will observe Homeless Persons Memo...
Erica SmithNov 13, 20192 minHomelessness Is….Last night at the Springfield City Council meeting, a speaker referred to homelessness as a “disease.” While we should always give people...
Erica SmithAug 16, 20191 minMyths of SchizophreniaMyth #1 Dangerous and scary. The idea that all individuals with schizophrenia are violent is unfortunately a heavy stigma that accompanie...
Erica SmithMay 14, 20193 minShelter Manager's personal experience and blessings come full circle with clientsWhen I came to Helping Hands six years ago, I was looking for a job that fit my 53-year-old body better than the construction work I was ...
Erica SmithMay 7, 20194 minThis is all of us: Helping our neighbors at the libraryThis blog article is Part 3 in a three-part series about the WWC and why a “shelter and stuff” alone approach doesn’t work to address the...
Annie IngersollApr 23, 20193 minIt Takes A VillageWhen I tell people I work at Helping Hands I almost always get the same sort of response. Expressions of gratitude for being selfless eno...
Erica SmithApr 16, 20193 minWWC 102: Why more is not necessarily better(This is part two in a 3-part blog about Springfield’s seasonal homeless shelter. Part 1 examined what the WWC currently is and who uses ...
Erica SmithApr 10, 20193 minWWC 101: What’s going on with the Winter Warming Center?(This is part one in a 3-part blog about Springfield’s seasonal homeless shelter. Part 1 examines what the WWC currently is and who uses ...
Erica SmithApr 2, 20194 minWhat’s it like being a woman working in a men's homeless shelter? For the past eight years I’ve worked at Helping Hands. I am a shelter manager, which means I work the shelter, meet with clients one-on-...
Erica SmithMar 26, 20193 minWant to Reduce Homelessness? Treat It Like Heart DiseaseThe difference between “cardiac arrest” and “heart attack” is a matter of time. Cardiac arrest happens at once – the whole heart stops be...
Erica SmithMar 19, 20192 minWhy “Get A Job!” Often Doesn’t Work for HomelessnessIt’s the most misguided, and yet repeated, statement I hear: “Those guys need to get a job!” There are A LOT of people in our shelters (o...
Erica SmithMar 12, 20193 minYoda Wisdom for Shelter and HousingTo alleviate the issue of chronic homelessness in a community, it takes a coordinated, system-response that meets multiple social and ind...
Erica SmithFeb 12, 20192 minWhat to give a person holding a cardboard signIt’s the number one question I’m asked about homelessness: “Should I give money to those people who hold cardboard signs on the street co...
