To help homeless!

I might study in Yokohama in 2007, in two years in a Language school. After that im not sure what i would like to do.

Maybe study on University in Japan or look for a job or just simple, move back to Sweden and pay the huge loan that I will have after Japan (it isn't free to study in Japan).

While im in Japan I would like to help the homeless, and my guess would be that there are homeless people in Yokohama also?

Does anyone on this forum know who I can contact while im in Japan, to get some kind of job, I dont really care if its a job where you get paid or not, just a job where I help homeless people in some way, prehaps serving food, talk and do stuff with them, like playing games or what ever there is to do.

Thanks!

There is no shortage of homeless people in Yokohama. Many of them are very industrious, with collecting aluminum cans for recycling being a very common activity. I am certain that once you are here and settled in yourself you will be able to find volunteer organizations. Please realize, though, that in Japan the homeless are generally left alone and ignored. There are those who help, but you may be depressed to find out how little is done and in what very dire circumstances many of them are in.

The International Church of Christ in Yoyogi Uehara is a place to start. While I do not agree with their "structure" for lack of a better word, they had a few clothing drives while I was living in Tokyo. As it's a gaijin church (largely) their members reach from teachers, to financial workers, so they could always get quite a few peopel from outside the church to help.

Other than that -- when you're done w/ your clothes for a season, take them to a park w/ homeless people instead of binning them. That's what I did. They were always happy to take them, and assured me they'd find someone there that could wear them (I'm rather tall).

I think it is good to put together some useful items that are hard to scrounge from dumpsters and which contribute to health, hygiene, and dignity. For example:

1. Disposable razors
2. Nail clippers
3. Scissors
4. Soap
5. Laundry soap (the old-fashioned bar soap, not detergent)
6. Scrub brush for hand-laundering
7. Small sewing kit
8. Duct tape (a thousand and one uses)
9. Etc. etc., use your imagination

Thanks to 100 yen shops, a nice little bundle of such items can be put together cheaply.