How to help well: giving, volunteering and civic action on Oʻahu

How to help · Published 2026-10-31

Late afternoon sun shining through trees onto a grassy lawn at Ala Moana Regional Park — Ala Moana Regional Park, Honolulu. Photo: The Eloquent Peasant, CC0.

Most people who want to help with homelessness on Oʻahu face the same questions: Is it better to give money or things? Should I hand something to the person at the bus stop? Where can I volunteer without getting in the way? There is no single right answer, but there are habits that make help more useful and more respectful. This guide collects them.

Start with respect

People experiencing homelessness are neighbors in difficult circumstances, not a problem to be solved or a scene to be photographed. A few principles apply to every kind of help:

Ask, don't assume. "Is there anything you need?" works better than arriving with what you think someone needs.
Protect privacy and dignity. Don't photograph or film people without clear consent, and don't post images of people in hardship on social media.
Respect "no". Someone who declines help, a conversation or a referral has the right to do so.
Keep promises small and real. Only offer what you can follow through on.

Giving that works

Money to established organizations

Service providers usually say that unrestricted donations are the most useful gift, because they can be spent on whatever is most needed: a bus pass, an ID fee, a deposit, staff time. Shelters, outreach programs, youth and family programs and legal aid organizations on Oʻahu all accept donations. Look for organizations that publish what they do and how they measure it.

Things, when they are asked for

In-kind donations help most when they match a published need. Before collecting clothes or supplies, check the organization's current wish list or call. Items that are often requested by programs serving people outside include new socks and underwear, hygiene supplies, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, phone chargers and backpacks. Food donations are best coordinated through food banks and meal programs, which handle safety and distribution.

Giving directly to a person

Whether to give cash to someone asking is a personal decision. If you do, give respectfully and without conditions. If you prefer not to, a greeting and eye contact still matter. Some people carry small bottles of water or snacks to offer instead.

Volunteering

The Point-in-Time count

The unsheltered part of Oʻahu's homeless count depends on volunteers, and Partners in Care recruits them ahead of each street count. Volunteers usually attend a short training, then join teams led by experienced outreach workers to survey people in assigned areas on the night or morning of the count. It is a rare chance to see the whole system at work. Our explainer on how the count works describes what the data are used for.

Ongoing roles

Shelters, meal programs, youth and family programs and faith-based groups take volunteers for meal service, tutoring, mentoring, administrative help, skilled work such as repairs or legal clinics, and more. Many prefer people who can commit regularly over one-off visits, because consistency builds trust with residents.

Bringing professional skills

Landlords can make the biggest difference of all by renting to tenants with vouchers or rapid rehousing support; Partners in Care runs a landlord engagement program, and our Section 8 guide explains how vouchers work for owners. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants and tradespeople can often help through organized clinics.

A short checklist before you volunteer

Is the organization asking for this kind of help right now?
Will there be training and a supervisor?
Can you commit for long enough to be useful?
Do you know the organization's rules on photos, privacy and boundaries?

Civic action

Many of the decisions that most affect homelessness are made in public meetings: zoning, housing funding, shelter siting, outreach budgets and the rules for sidewalks and parks. Residents can take part in several ways:

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature accepts written testimony on bills during the session, which runs from January to early May. The Capitol website lists hearings and lets anyone submit testimony online.
The Honolulu City Council also takes written and in-person testimony on bills and resolutions, including on topics such as sit-lie rules and housing.
Neighborhood boards meet monthly across Oʻahu and are often the first place new shelters, kauhale or housing projects are discussed.
Voting and asking questions of candidates about housing and homelessness keeps the topic on the agenda.

Useful testimony is specific: it names the bill, says what you support or oppose and why, and, where possible, draws on your own experience or on data such as the latest count or the Census rent figures. Debates over emergency housing powers, explained in our piece on the governor's proclamations, show how much public input can shape the outcome.

Help that starts closer to home

Preventing homelessness is cheaper and kinder than ending it. Some of the most valuable help is unglamorous:

telling a friend or relative who is behind on rent about Hawaiʻi's free eviction mediation before the ten-day deadline passes;
pointing families with unstable housing to the school liaison who can keep children in the same school;
sharing 211, Aloha United Way's information and referral line, which reported housing as the most urgent need among its callers in 2025.

When the person is someone you know

Help is often most effective inside existing relationships. A relative with a serious health condition who is close to losing housing may qualify for Medicaid-funded housing support through their health plan (see our guide to CIS+). A friend who has just received a housing voucher may need help finding a landlord who accepts it. Offering a mailing address, a place to charge a phone or a ride to an appointment can keep someone connected to the services working on their case.

When you see someone in trouble

Helping well also means knowing whom to call, and when not to call anyone. Our companion guide, if you are worried about someone on the street, explains when to use 911, 988 and the City's non-emergency outreach line.

Sources

Partners in Care, Point in Time Count and Landlord Engagement Program.
Hawaiʻi State Legislature, capitol.hawaii.gov (bills, hearings and testimony).
Honolulu City Council, official website.
Aloha United Way, 211 Annual Report 2025 (PDF).