Selfish Altruism?

This week I have been throwing a few ideas about philanthropic pursuits between some of my dear friends. I have decided that despite not having an amazing pool of resources, I'm still capable of doing something to improve the daily lives of Brisbane's homeless.

Homelessness in Australia - This site gives a little insight into the topic of homelessness in Australia

When I see homeless people I usually find myself trying to think of what I would do if I were in their position, and how much I would welcome the smallest gesture of help. Winter this year was particularly cold (Yes, even in Tropical Queensland), alot of Australia's homeless population migrate north in winter to escape the cold weather as best they can.
I was out in the valley a few moths ago, and I was suffering from a nasty flu, and couldn't wait to just get home and have a shower then jump into my bed. There was a woman propped up in a doorway near the Night Owl in Brunswick Street - she had a nasty cough, and only a dirty old blanket between her and the cold. I went into the store and grabbed a couple of packets of Anticol and gave them to her. I know that a gesture like this might not have a profound effect on her in the long term, but I think it's little things like this, that we take for granted, that can collectively make a difference to the quality of a persons life.

I think too many people justify a persons situation based on the idea that 'everything is just' - that they must have done something to deserve to be in such a position, or that they aren't doing anything to get themselves out of it. This really is just a way of avoiding feeling compelled to help out, and stops you from feeling bad when you are walking home to bed, with a full stomach and clean clothes and see somebody slumped on a park bench or looking for a nook to sleep in for the night.

I'm not going to pretend that I will be crusading about the city, making everything ok - I would just like to make it a little better.

After chatting with Sharon (who has offered her time and resources to help get the project up and running) I've decided on two small ideas that I'd like to execute.

1 - Basic toiletries: A toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a washcloth and deodorant. I'd like to get together a few packs containing these items and distribute them.

2 - Book swap with coffee and tea: I love reading a book and sipping on a cup of tea, and I think that it's a little luxury that really doesn't take much to make happen. I have heard of a project in Melbourne/Sydney in which a person had a huge collection of books, that they loaded in their car and displayed at a designated location in the city on a certain night of the week - people were encouraged to come and grab a book, and when they were done with it, bring it back and swap it for a new one. I'd like to do something similar to this, and offer a warm drink while I'm doing it.

We may not individually have the capacity to make major changes to the situation of homelessness, but a collection of small gestures combined can make life a little more pleasant and bearable.

If you have any ideas or would like to help out in any way, please let me know. I'm aiming to have things up an running by October :)