What to Bring, and What Not to Worry About, When You Arrive

If you are considering reaching out to Frieda Homes for emergency housing, you may be wondering what you actually need to bring. The honest answer is less than you think, and worrying too much about this beforehand sometimes keeps people from calling at all, which is exactly the outcome we want to avoid.

If you have identification, bring it, but do not wait to reach out just because you do not have it. We can help replace lost documents once you are safe. The same goes for paperwork of almost any kind, whether that is proof of income, a lease from a previous address, or medical records. Getting somewhere safe comes first, and we sort out the rest together once the immediate crisis is handled.

Bring medications you are currently taking if you can, along with any items that matter to you personally, whether that is a phone charger, a family photo, or something with sentimental value that would be hard to replace. These small items often matter more to people’s sense of stability than anything on a practical checklist, and we make room for them without question.

Beyond that, our team handles meals, basic clothing, and transportation to get you settled. If you have children with you, let us know as early in the conversation as possible, since it changes some of the logistics around placement and the kind of support we prioritize first.

Pets are a common concern too, and one that sometimes stops people from seeking shelter at all rather than leave an animal behind. Talk to us directly about your specific situation rather than assuming the answer is no, since we work to find solutions where we can rather than turning people away over this alone.

The biggest misconception we hear is that people need to have everything figured out before they call. You do not. That is what we are here for, and the sooner that first call happens, the sooner the actual help can start.
Transportation to reach us in the first place is worth mentioning too, since it stops some people from calling at all if they assume they need a car to get here. If you do not have a way to reach us, tell us that on the phone, and we will work out transportation as part of the intake process rather than leaving that as a barrier before help even begins.

We also want people to know that reaching out is not a one way commitment. Calling to ask questions, without agreeing to anything yet, is completely fine, and a lot of people start exactly that way, gathering information before deciding whether or when to actually come in. There is no penalty for changing your mind partway through a conversation, and no pressure to commit to anything faster than feels right for your situation.
However you reach out, by phone, through our website, or by having someone else call on your behalf, know that the call itself does not commit you to anything beyond that conversation. We have talked with plenty of people who called once, took some time to think, and reached back out weeks later when they were ready. That door stays open for as long as it takes.
We built this program around the belief that asking for help should be the easy part, even when everything else in that moment is hard. If you take nothing else from this, take that. The call itself is simpler than you might expect, and it is the first real step toward everything that follows.