If you’re like most people, this time of year can be hectic. Between buying gifts, shopping for holiday food and visiting with friends and family, you may not be able to catch your breath.

But, if you think about it, the whole focus on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other winter holidays is a focus on the home.

If you’re homeless, however, this time of year can be emotionally taxing. What once was a time of year spent celebrating with family at the table or under a tree in a warm house can be consumed with feelings of hopelessness and loss.

Other issues can include:

Increased Isolation

The holidays are a stark reminder of the contrast between how society expects you to celebrate the holiday season and your current living situation. Families without stable housing may feel abandoned by the mainstream.

Homelessness can also bring challenges to participating in traditional holiday activities. For example, the lack of clean clothing or a secure place to store Christmas gifts may prevent an unhoused person or family from being able to celebrate the holidays.

An Impact on Children

This time of year is particularly important to the young people in our lives. Without stable housing, children may wonder where they will celebrate the arrival of Santa Claus.

They see their peers celebrating in festivities but feel excluded when they cannot do the same.

And parents can feel inadequate about not being able to provide the normalcy of a traditional Thanksgiving meal or Christmas decorations and gift-giving.

Mental Health Challenges

It’s unfortunately quite common for people to feel sad this time of year, even those who have homes. But the stress of homelessness can put a heavy weight on even the strongest of people.

Depression and anxiety can be heightened.

Therefore, it’s important that social workers reach out to their homeless clients more frequently during this time of year.

Physical Health Challenges

In most of the United States, this time of year also brings with it cold weather. While many homeless people move from the streets to shelters, there simply isn’t enough room for everyone, and those living in rural areas may not have an option at all.

Along with colds, the flu and other illnesses that are made worse by colder weather, the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that 700 people experiencing homelessness die each year in the United States due to hypothermia.

What Can You Do?

But there are ways you can make a difference, and the most important is the donation of your time.

You can:

  • Volunteer to serve meals or provide companionship at local shelters or outdoor meal services.
  • Create care packages of warm clothes, snacks, hand warmers, non-perishable food or toiletries.
  • Organize donation drives by collecting items from friends, family and coworkers to provide to homeless organizations.
  • Donate to charities that help the homeless.
  • Participate in holiday events held by homeless organizations that serve meals or distribute gifts.

Right now, the Tennessee Out-Reach Center for Homeless (TORCH) of Oak Ridge is accepting donations to keep the lights on at Bookhart Village, and we always accept donations through our site or through our Carly book series for children.

If you are homeless in Anderson County, Tennessee, or you know of a family who is, contact TORCH at (865) 318-4788 or on our website.