Ask how to help
Even if you are sure that the person needs help, please first ask him or her if the person wants your participation and what kind of help is needed. Every person has a right to ask for help or reject it. There is only one situation in which consent is not required - if a person is unconscious, injured or falls asleep in the cold. In that case call an ambulance immediately, this can save life.
Call an ambulance
If you see a person on the street who needs medical assistance, call an ambulance by dialing 112 or 103. Please wait for the medical brigade to arrive and make sure that the person has been helped. If the medical brigade refuses hospitalization of an unconscious person or doesn’t give help to an injured, call 8-800-200-030-89 hot line and report this violation in the presence of medics, tell the number of the brigade and the ambulance car.
Share food not money
You can share hot tea or any food that doesn't need to be cooked with a homeless person. It can be pastries, cheese, sausage or canned food with an opener. Please don’t give money, a person can spend it on alcohol in hope to keep warm. It is not safe. If a person asks you money for a ticket home, refer him to the Nochlezhka’s Counselling Service. Our social workers help people return to other cities.
Give Nochlezhka’s leaflet
Nochlezhka’s leaflet contains all the information about where a homeless person can get free food, sleep, get new clothes, take a shower, have laundry service, receive legal help or social worker assistance. Print out a few copies to pass on to someone who is on the street and needs help. Tell homeless that all help at Nochlezhka is free. We do not require any papers or ID. The main thing is that a person gets to us on his own during the working hours of our projects. If you are willing to help a homeless with travel money, please share a subway token, pass, or call a taxi.
Tell where help is given
Even if you don’t have our leaflet with you, tell a homeless about Nochlezhka. We help homeless not only with food, accommodation and opportunity to freshen up, but also help with documents restoration, employment, get in contact with relatives, return home to another city, receive medical care and resolve legal issues. We work pro bono and don’t ask anything in return.
Let a homeless stay safe
Homeless people spend the night in basements, porches, attics and flights of stairs out of desperation. It is especially dangerous when its cold, so do not drive a homeless person outside, where he or she can freeze. If you are ready for a dialogue, tell him or her about Nochlezhka, offer food or warm clothes. If not, then print our leaflet and leave it in a place where the homeless person sleeps.