You may have noticed someone sleeping in a car or van and asked yourself, how can I help? You'll be glad to learn that there are many great ways you can assist! Please note that nomads are in a wide variety of living situations: some may not need or want any help, some may be in desperate need, and most are somewhere in between. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and desire to help!
Assessing need and desire for help
Does this person need help? It might be easy to tell that they don't need help if they are driving a $200,000 luxury campervan, but even those living in a small car or minivan may very well be living that way by choice. Why would anyone live in a van? Some like the freedom of the road, not being tied to any particular place. Some want to live as frugally or minimally as possible. Some may just be in a temporary situation, such as traveling through the area and not wanting to spend money on hotels when they're comfortable enough in their vehicle.
Involuntary nomads, on the other hand, are not living in their vehicle by choice. They may have lost their home for financial reasons, or fled their home due to domestic/relationship issues or even to escape abuse. They would love to have a conventional home but cannot. Involuntary nomads may be houseless/homeless and need help. (If you are involuntarily living in your car, see the Emergency quick start page for tips.)
Some people who need help may not want help at all, for various reasons. Accepting help may feel like proof that they have lost at the game of life. Or they may not feel like they are deserving of help, since others are in greater need. Or they may be wary of accepting help due to the potential for "strings attached" situations, or being humiliated by insincere offers for help, or the fear of being defrauded, or showing up on a viral charity video that their family sees, or other reasons. Some of those who need help may not be able to utilize that help effectively, due to mental struggles, drug abuse struggles, etc. Sometimes you might have mistakenly decided that a person needs help when they really need no help at all.
How can I help?
There are many ways you can help! The right help at the right time can really be so beneficial. Most of those living in cars or other vehicles don't need a lot of "things" since storage space is very limited.
The best way to match your generosity with their need is often to simply ask what they need. However, the person may not know what is appropriate to ask for (might be too expensive), or they may not have had time to consider their needs. Here are some ideas of things you could offer or suggest:
- A safe place to park for a few nights.
- Filling up water tanks from your hose.
- An extension cord from your house to their vehicle so they can recharge devices and batteries, or run heaters or fans as needed.
- A temporary password to your wifi, and maybe to any streaming services you're subscribed to.
- Cash or gift cards for gas or grocery stores, oil changes, Walmart, Amazon, a local mailbox service, etc.
- Rechargeable power banks that can be used to charge phones or other devices
If you would like to spend a bit more:
- In cool or cold weather, items for keeping warm like rechargeable warmers, chemical warmers, sleeping bags, warm socks, mylar blankets, etc.
- In hot weather, items for keeping cool like 12v fans, cooling towels, etc.
- A gift gym membership or gift cards for nearby places to shower or do laundry.
- If the nomad has a credit card, you could offer to pay for a hotel night for them with cash, putting their card on file with the hotel for incidentals and room damage.
- A gift membership or subscription (or a gift card to use toward a membership/subscription), for a restaurant or grocery store that offers free food or other discounts and benefits. For example, the Panera Sip Club or a Costco or Sam's Club membership (free samples!).
- If needed, some camping and cooking gear like a camp stove.
- Portable power stations, possibly with portable solar panels, to meet most electrical needs on the road
Helping someone you know personally: You may have learned that a friend, family member, coworker, etc., is living in their car or truck. There are additional ways to help this person that you couldn't do for a stranger. If you want to offer help, be aware that they may be embarrassed to accept help from you, or they may not want or need help.
Hey _____, I heard you recently moved into your car! Saving on rent eh? It's getting ridiculous these days! If it's helpful, I can ______.
If they expect to be in a car for a while, consider offering to receive their mail at your address. You will need to let them know when mail arrives for them, and may need to open it and send photos if they are far away, or mail it on to another address. This makes it significantly easier for them to manage their accounts, insurance, government business, and other official reasons. Depending on your jurisdiction, for legal purposes they will be living with you, even if they aren't physically there very often. (A PO box is not sufficient for many uses, but offering to pay for one for them may be helpful. Mailing address services are usually more useful. See the Managing your mail page for details.)
Consider offering to let them store belongings in your home, garage, attic, etc., or pay for a storage unit. Having extra space for the things they need to keep for the future or for later use can lift a big burden. Storing everything you own in your vehicle can definitely be a challenge. If you have a second "overflow" fridge or freezer in your garage, you could offer space in that.
Consider offering your shower, laundry machines, or a spare bedroom for occasional use. Depending on your relationship with them, you may need to have a clear agreement set in advance (hopefully in writing) so that both of you know what to expect out of the arrangement. For example:
______ is welcome to use my shower and laundry machines every Saturday afternoon as long as I send a confirmation text to him for that Saturday.
You can also consider lending them things they may need, such as camping equipment, sleeping bags, camp stove, rechargeable batteries, etc.
Making contact
In general, you should avoid knocking on their vehicle. In the nomad community, this is widely known as The Knock, and knocks are almost always bad news. Most knocks that vehicle-dwellers receive are requests or commands to leave the property or the area. Even if your knock is an offer for help, the knock itself is often startling or may rouse them from sleep.
Approaching a nomad who is currently outside of their vehicle is better, but may still be an unwelcome interruption or intrusion. Some nomads enjoy talking to strangers (loneliness can be a struggle for many!), but others may find it threatening when someone approaches them and their home, especially during evening or night hours. This can violate their sense of safety and security on the road.
The best way to make contact is usually with a handwritten note. Leave a short note on folded paper taped to a window or under a windshield wiper with a message like one of the following. Put it in a plastic bag if there is rain in the forecast.
Hi friend, I noticed you parked here and would like to offer help if you need any! I can offer _______ or _______. To accept, leave a note on my door at ______.
Hi, just wanted to check if you need anything on your journey, like _____, ______, or ______. Text me at _______ if you do.
If you need assistance at all, I might be able to help! Text me at ______ if you need _____.
Hi, just so you know, city ordinance doesn't allow street parking in one spot for more than 24 hours. You may park in my driveway for up to 3 days if you would like to.
Risks of helping
Helping nomads is unfortunately not without some risk to you. For example, an offer to let someone park on your property may result in them overstaying their welcome, or inviting other nomads to join them. If your property is publicly marked on one of the apps nomads use to finding parking as a "good" spot, you may have a regular stream of campers hoping to grab the spot. In some jurisdictions, tenancy laws may come into play if a person stays on your property for too long.
You may somewhat reduce your risk by requiring a small payment for staying, using a service like Vanly or Harvest Hosts to offer your property for a small fee. However, your property insurance may not cover damages if you are deemed to be using your property commercially without a proper policy adjustment.
Unfortunately, a certain segment of nomads does not respect the property on which or near which they are parked. They may leave trash on the ground, may act as if a parking lot is their own private camp site, or may stay in one spot for long periods. This is unfortunately a really difficult problem to solve, and it's a big part of why finding parking for the night can be difficult for nomads. Local residents and business owners are understandably worried about people sleeping in vehicles nearby. Helping these disrespectful nomads can definitely invite problems for you in the future.
Thank you!
There are many stories posted online by nomads who have received help that has made a huge difference for them. Thanks for your kindness to your fellow humans!
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