They aren’t invisible. Whether sleeping in poorly lit alleys and under bridges or asking for change on street corners, the homeless are a clear reminder of our society’s failure to help the less fortunate.

Homelessness is a major epidemic in the United States and around the world. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, estimates put the national number of homeless people at 2.3-3.5 million. Meanwhile, in 2005, the UN said that there are 1.6 billion people worldwide who lack adequate housing, about 100 million of whom are completely homeless. While all of these numbers are estimates due to a variety of factors, including the subjective definition of homelessness, different counting techniques, and legal status in other countries, they should give a sense for the amount of human beings who lack the basic necessity of shelter (nationalhomeless.org, un.org).

Upon seeing a homeless person, many people will look away, roll up their car-door windows, and avoid eye contact. They create an uneasiness that can’t be easily defined:  a mixture of fear, embarrassment, and maybe even guilt. “I couldn’t really help him with a few dollars,” is usually how the justification of inaction goes. After all, one dollar can rarely buy any necessity. This is a convenient excuse to justify inaction, ignore one’s conscience, and move on to something more pleasant.

Yes, it’s probably true that a small amount of money won’t do much. But the solution isn’t to not do anything; it’s to do more. This doesn’t mean you should give a homeless man $50 instead of $5. Instead, donating your time or money to a reputable organization that helps the disadvantaged can make more of a difference than directly donating to any individual. For example, the San Diego Coalition for the Homeless or the San Diego Rescue Mission organizations provide support for locals without a home and heavily rely on public donations, according to their official websites (homelessshelterdirectory.org, sdhomeless.org). By donating, your money can join all of the other contributions that are made and, as a collection, might help many of San Diego’s homeless. This is also a better alternative for people who are worried that their money might just go towards a drug habit or some other unworthy cause, which is not only a waste but counterproductive.

Smaller measures shouldn’t be underestimated, either. “I feel that we could always find someway to help the homeless… every little thing for them impacts their lives in some way,” said Freshman Anais Perez. Even if it does nothing but improve their day, a small action is better than absolutely nothing. If even only one person out of the million in San Diego decides to show some kindness to another citizen who is living on the street, the sentiment can be just as significant as the act itself (census.gov).

Of course, it could be argued that it isn’t everyone else’s responsibility to help some “bum” that probably never worked and is simply leaching off the charity of passerby. But is all of that really true? It is well known that many veterans become homeless after returning to the United States, but according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, many homeless people are also the victims of expensive health care and housing, fewer job opportunities, poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, and addiction disorders (nationalhomeless.org). People like these don’t deserve to be ignored– they deserve to be helped and integrated back into society. Yes, some of them might just be lazy, but the majority are suffering from problems that are beyond their own ability to fix.

A possible solution, or at least improvement, to the plight of the displaced, would be an increase in government funding for programs that help the unemployed get jobs and the mentally ill or substance abusers get rehab treatment. An increase in government funding for homeless shelters across the nation could also help considerably. The amount of money that currently goes into military spending, for instance, could be used more efficiently to improve these people’s lives. When quality of life for all Americans, and human beings as a whole, is valued more highly than an extravagant military, resources can be diverted to a cause that many already agree is more important.

There is a lot that can be done on the individual level, too. Volunteering at shelters or rehab centers can make a difference for the homeless in a community. But most importantly, we need to stop looking the other way. A long-term solution must include a change in public attitudes towards homeless people.