Homeless Man Offers Tips On Holiday Giving

By Jessica Gould

As the season of giving gets underway, one advocate is offering tips on ways to truly make a difference in the lives of the homeless.

Eric Sheptock spends his days writing and speaking about issues that affect the homeless. He spends his nights at a Northwest D.C. shelter.

"I'm homeless myself, but I'm also advocating for the homeless," he says.

And he says it's important to remember that homeless people need help all year round.

"We do need people to feed throughout the year, not just in November and December, because homeless people eat every month of the year, believe me," Sheptock says.

But, he says, there are other ways to make a difference in a homeless person's life, like giving phone cards.

"...because folks want to call family around the holidays," he says.

Sheptock also suggests buying homeless people socks or Metro cards. Or, he says, just stop by for a moment and say hello.