Give. Volunteer. Advocate. Pray.
Summer is a strange season to lead a nonprofit. On one hand, I love it. The days are longer. Churches send mission teams. Students volunteer. Families gather outside. There’s an energy to summer that feels hopeful.
On the other hand, it can be one of the most challenging seasons for organizations like City Relief. When school lets out and families head on vacation, routines change—including charitable giving. Consider this: research suggests that roughly 20–30% of annual online giving can happen in December alone, with as much as 10% occurring in the final three days of the year.
But people experiencing homelessness don’t become less hungry in July. The needs of our struggling neighbors don’t take a summer vacation.
In fact, summer brings challenges of its own. Extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather-related hazards in America, and people living without shelter are especially vulnerable. From flooding and severe storms to poor air quality from wildfire smoke, what can be an inconvenience for those of us with a safe place to go can become an emergency for someone living outside.
Parks and public spaces also become more crowded, and some forms of violent crime tend to rise during warmer months. While people experiencing homelessness are routinely stereotyped as perpetrators of crime, they are often far more vulnerable to becoming victims themselves.
Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, City Relief steps into that reality with cold drinks, fresh soup, Bombas socks, hygiene supplies, legal referrals, housing connections, prayer, and a simple reminder: you are not alone.
So, as we move through the heart of summer, I want to invite you to consider four simple ways to help.
Give. If there are nonprofits you believe in—whether it’s City Relief or another organization—please don’t hit pause until September. This summer, gasoline has climbed above $4 a gallon and diesel above $5. For an organization like ours that puts outreach vehicles on the road four days a week, those costs add up quickly. Staff still need to be paid. Soup still needs to be cooked. Supplies still need to be purchased.
Volunteer. Between vacations, summer sports, and backyard barbecues, carve out a few hours to serve someone else—whether with City Relief or another justice-oriented organization that aligns with your heart and values. We still need volunteers to prepare meals, welcome guests, distribute supplies, pray with people, and connect our neighbors to life-changing resources. One of my favorite quotes comes from theologian Frederick Buechner: “Your calling is where the world’s deep hunger and your deep gladness meet.” I promise: you’ll get far more out of volunteering than you give.
Advocate. Share an inspiring story. Follow, like, and amplify the organizations you believe in. Until we think and talk differently about homelessness, we’re unlikely to see any meaningful improvements. So, if our posts aren’t showing up in your feed, let’s remedy that! Social media can be a dumpster fire of rage-bait and negativity, but I believe we can add a little love and light. Repost stories that humanize our neighbors and inspire compassion.
Pray. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe our concerns matter to God, but I also believe prayer connects us to the concerns of God. We are called to participate in restoring a broken world—to help build a Kingdom where poverty, homelessness, violence, and injustice do not have the final word. Prayer helps align our hearts with God’s intentions.
Lasting change has always been a community project. It happens when ordinary people refuse to look away from extraordinary need. Together, we can make sure our neighbors with no doors aren’t forgotten simply because summer has left the rest of us a wee bit distracted.
With Gratitude,
Josiah Haken
City Relief, CEO
