The closest you should be to a homeless person while doing street outreach is just to hand them the bag. If they ask you to place the bag near you, then do that. You don’t know their story and they may feel threatened to have others come too close to their personal space.

But before and after handing them a care bag,  stay six feet away and have your conversation with them from there. They might be standing or sitting, and that’s okay. But if they’re sitting, maybe consider crouching down to have a conversation on their eye level. 

If they ask you to come closer or if you’re crouching, just remember it’s most important to be safe. People on the street sometimes have shifts and moods during interactions. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but by keeping safety in mind, you can more easily remain composed and help ease the situation if they get stressed.

By remaining composed, you might help the person de-stress by showing they’re in a safe respective space, which might lead to a deeper connection. As you get the hang of this, you’ll get a better sense of what works for you.

    – Respect boundaries – keep distance of 6 feet 
    – When possible, maintain the same eye level 
    – Don’t worry, but remain aware and clam 
    – Keep everyone’s safety in mind