A Gift of Hope: Helping the Homeless

by Danielle Steel

In her powerful memoir His Bright Light, #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel opened her heart to share the devastating story of the loss of her beloved son. In A Gift of Hope, she shows us how she transformed that pain into a campaign of service that enriched her life beyond what she could imagine.   For eleven years, Danielle Steel took to the streets with a small team to help the homeless of San Francisco. She worked anonymously, visiting the “cribs” of the city’s most vulnerable citizens under cover of darkness, distributing food, clothing, bedding, tools, and toiletries. She sought no publicity for her efforts and remained anonymous throughout. Now she is speaking to bring attention to their plight.   In this unflinchingly honest and deeply moving memoir, the famously private author speaks out publicly for the first time about her work among the most desperate members of our society. She offers achingly acute portraits of the people she met along the way—and issues a heartfelt call for more effective action to aid this vast, deprived population. Determined to supply the homeless with the basic necessities to keep them alive, she ends up giving them something far more a voice.   By turns candid and inspirational, Danielle Steel’s A Gift of Hope is a true act of advocacy and love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Romance, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography, Mental Health, Ebooks

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2012

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danielle Steel is an outstandingly popular novelist, but her books don't appeal to me, so as far as I was concerned she was an unknown entity. It was only when I heard of this particular book - dealing with her work with homeless people in San Francisco, that my interest was piqued.

Steel didn't start her work out of sympathy for the homeless, but rather it was via a sad and unusual route. She has nine children, but one of them, a greatly beloved son, was bipolar. In the grip of a deep depression, aged 18, he made four unsuccessful suicide attempts. Six months later he made another, and this time succeeded. Perhaps under the stress of this, her marriage then disintegrated.

Shortly after that, Steel, who is deeply religious, was praying .... and it was during her prayers that she heard God asking her to help the homeless. She was far from pleased about this. ""trying to pretend that I hadn't heard that message clearly in my head. How about some other project? Working with children maybe - I was good at that.... All my life I had been a somewhat skittish person, nervous about unusual or ominous-looking people, frightened when drunks or homeless people approached me in the street.... Their intrusion into my neat, orderly, clean life was something I wanted to avoid, not embrace...."

But embrace them she did, and to the date of publication has done so for eleven years. She chose not to work with an established charity, but rather create her own initiatives. Ten or twelve times a year she and a small band of friends would take to the streets in two vans, stopping to deliver warm clothing and bedding, rainproof ponchos or coverings for sleeping bags, and also food. The book is about the people she met on the streets, and her views about the problems they face.

Three issues stood out for me:

The challenging administrative hoops that people have to jump through in order to get help.

There are programs in every city designed to assist (homeless people) get off the streets, or so they say. But in truth only the most functional among the homeless are able to access those programes. Lines are endless, forms are impossible to decipher, qualifications can't be met, standards don't apply. Waiting lists for every kind of facility keep people on hold for months for medical care, detox programmes, housing. Some waits are as long as a year.

The way the temporary shelters of homeless people can so easily be destroyed, often by the authorities...and how this affects the lives of these people.

The system I saw used most frequently to address the homeless was harassment. I kept hearing about the DPW. The Department of Public Works. The theory is that if people are going to 'insist' on living on the streets, then the city will just have to clean them up, tidy them up, and teach them a thing or two. Admittedly, the belongings of homeless people look messy. But how neat can you be when you're living in a cardboard box, and everything you own is in a shopping cart with three wheels? The DPW solves that problem. They arrive with a giant dump truck, and if the homeless person is momentarily away.....the DPW truck scoops up all their belongings, and tidies up the mess for them. And suddenly the homeless person has no bedding, no clothes, and so little to their name that you weep to see it. After the DPW truck does its job, they have absolutely nothing at all except the shirts on their backs, and rubber flip-flops. .....the DPW takes away what little they do have and leaves them even more helpless and ill-equipped to survive than before.....We have to do a whole lot better than just hauling away their belongings in a garbage truck, leaving them crying on the street.

Finally, and most contentiously, Steel's opinions about the need to change mental health legislation so that people can be held involuntarily in psychiatric hospitals for longer than is currently the case.

Some people say that homelessness is a result of not having enough mental hospitals. But the problem is more complex. Even if we had enough hospitals, we have no way of getting people into them and convincing them to stay there for treatment....I have long felt that our current system, where mentally ill people must agree to be hospitalised unless they have proven themselves to be a danger to society is a nice theory, but just doesn't work. Right now, in our current system, the decision to be hospitalised rests in the mentally ill person's hands. It's up to them. And realistically, many or even most of them are not in a position to make that decision for themselves. Families with mentally ill relatives can do nothing to get them off the streets, or hospitalise them for treatment..... I have several friends who have adult children (some in their thirties and forties) who have been homeless and lost to them for years. There is absolutely nothing the parents can do about it, and sometimes they wind up in jail rather than hospitals if they step over the line society sets for them, or exhibit behaviour that breaks a law.

I believe we need laws that allow us to hospitalize people when necessary, for treatment and safekeeping, even without their consent. .... Perhaps the people who make the laws, or the citizens who vote for them, have no idea how vulnerable the mentally ill are on the streets, and what very real danger they are in. The laws we have now are well-intentioned, and do avoid the situations we all read about years ago, when some unsuspecting mentally healthy person could be put away in a mental hospital against their will, often as a result of their family's greed or self-serving motives. Today's laws prevent that from happening, but the net is so broad now that we can no longer hospitalise those who need it most. Our hands are tied. So instead of getting treatment, or being helped by those who care about them, mentally ill people are homeless on the streets. The general consensus is that 80 to 90 percent of homeless people are suffering from some form of mental illness, and they're not getting the help they need.

In San Francisco ,a statute of the health code called a 5150 allows you to hospitalise persons exhibiting inappropriate or bizarre behaviour for seventy-two hours for evaluation. That gives mental health professionals three days to study their behaviour and make a decision as to whether or not they are a danger to themselves or others. If not, it is nearly impossible to extend the three days for a longer period (with the help of a 5250). But sometimes it takes longer than three days to assess a psychiatric problem. ....We can't hospitalise these people to protect them, no matter how vulnerable their state or confused their mind. As long as they are not 'dangerous' they are free to go, back to a world where they are preyed upon, in constant danger, and in no condition to cope with the rigours of street life or the constant threats lurking there. Sometimes, no matter how sad, that decision should be taken out of their hands.

I was very pleased to have read this book.....


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I can't resist adding a link to this short video about an initiative in Seattle to help the homeless...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCzBi...

[Angela DeSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book long ago before Goodreads. It was pretty good. I was very surprised that Danielle was involved so closely with the homeless. It made me respect alot more. Especially as she wanted no recognition for it and wrote the book long after the 10 year involvement with the homeless. I know first hand how horrible it feels to be homeless even though I was never on the street I had friends and relatives to help me and then I went to rehab. And I was only homeless for about 6 months. It is also interesting to note that her son who committed suicide suffered from bipolar disorder and committed suicide as a result of depression and bipolar disorder. She found that a lot of this homeless population are mentally ill and that her son also battled mental illness. I live in Portland Oregon and there are a LOT of homeless here and not enough shelters as is the same situation in San Francisco it's probably worse now as this book was written a while back.

[Jessaka]

I had hoped to like this better, but I am used to journalists writing this kind of book. Steel's book is more personal. I wanted to know how these people became homeless and how they are now surviving.

Steel begins this story with her son's mental illness and deScent into homelessness and his death. Then she prays to God and is told to help the homeless, which she does, and I commend her for that. She brings them jackets and sleeping bags and in time she does more. One Christmas she gave men and women a teddy bear, and even the men cried. This was very touching.

I just never learned why they were homeless and how they are surviving. Plus, this book was written years ago.

[Julia Batt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea what the point of this book was.

It was well written, hence being awarded 2 stars but I have nothing else positive to say for it - possibly because I just don't understand what the point of the book was.

For 11 years Danielle Steel helped the homeless going out on night visits with friends and colleagues to hand out goods she had personally paid for.

This finished over 2 years prior to the book being written. There is constant mention of the fact that the author wanted no praise of recognition for what she had done. I assumed therefore, that there would be suggestions for how others could help, or requests for donations to a relevant charity. However, the book ends with no closure. I simply do not understand what the point in this book was.

I have glanced at other reviews and they are a lot more appreciative than me, and clearly I may just be a moody old git, however, I believe that if someone wants to do something anonymously but then choses to tell others about it, there really should be some purpose and despite reading through twice, I simply failed to find that purpose.

Proceeds for the sale of the book do not appear to go towards homeless charities either. I felt that this book did more for the authors ego, than for those suffering on the streets.

If I am wrong, please correct me as I appreciate this is an horrifically harsh review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This is an incredible and inspiring story. It's a reminder that we are all humans and some have fallen on tougher times. Without judgement, all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Danielle steel tragically lost her son to suicide.. after many years of battling bipolar disorder. Having lost her son and trying to deal with her broken marriage , she found herself in a very desperate and low place in her life. She spent a great deal of time sitting in the quiet of a church... lighting candles and asking God for help. The answer she felt she received was not the one she was looking for or one that she felt that she wanted .. she felt she was to go out into her city of San Francisco and offer outreach in the homeless community. This book is her story of the 11 years she spent on this loving outreach with a group of dedicated friends... which included a couple of police officers who were instrumental in keeping the group safe and street smart.

For years, Ms. Steel and her group called "Yo! Angel" went out onto the streets of San Francisco and distributed warm coats, gloves, hats and sleeping bags to the city's homeless population. In her outreach, Ms. Steel learned many things about this forgotten and invisible population. She found that many of the homeless were also mentally ill and in those mentally ill people, she was reminded over and over of her son and his battle with mental illness.. discovering that, despite his eventual suicide, he had actually been one of the luckier ones who had had a loving and supportive family and the resources to try to deal with his mental illness.

Ms. Steel provided some opinions on ways that society can help in this crisis... one of which I am in total agreement with. She says... "We need laws that allow us to hospitalize people when necessary. for treatment and safekeeping, even without their consent. Perhaps the people who make the laws, or the citizens who vote for them, have no idea how vulnerable the mentally ill are on the streets, and what very real danger they are in."

Ms. Steel's outreach to those that are often invisible in our society was very moving and inspirational. Although Ms. Steel referred tho the task she had undertaken as sometimes overwhelming and described her generous efforts as "emptying the ocean with a thimble....our thimble so tiny and the ocean of need so huge". I feel her story is both educational and inspirational . Perhaps her 'gift of self' will spark the compassion of each person who reads it and will motivate them to also reach out to someone in need.

[Sheila Van Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching read

Having never really considered the plight of the homeless before this is a very eye-opening book. I don't know how she managed for eleven years...wish there were a way for her ministry to carry on. A definite must read.

[Živilė Matijaškienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

EN/LT

Once again I am convinced that atruism is vital in our society (in any shape of form)

Authors story truly is captivating and interesting, although a tad repetative.
The pain that she endured have evolved into something that ended up helping others.

In my experience, the satistaction of giving and helping is invaluable.
---------------------------------------------------
Aš dar kartą įsitikinau, kad altruizmas, bet kokioje formoje, yra būtinybė mūsų visuomenėje.

Nors ir šiek tiek besikartojanti, bet Autorės istorija yra išties paliečianti sielos stygas.
Skausmas kurį ji patyrė susikaupė ir išssirutuliojo į pasiaukojimą kitiems.

Mano asmeninė patirtis leido suvokti, kad davimas ir pagalba kitam suteikia daug pasitenkinimo ir yra neįkainojama.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book. I felt like I read the same thing over and over again. Danielle is such a good storyteller that I think she would have done a better job at turning this into a story about one of the people living on the street. This is a serious issue that needs addressing, but I was not inspired by this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

repetitive

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not read Danielle Steel's usual genre, but in this memoir she recounts her 11 years of working with the small team of people she assembled to help hand out much needed coats, gloves, socks, shoes, and sleeping bags to the homeless people she found on the streets of San Francisco. Ms Steel kept this mission of hers quiet for many years; after the suicide of her mentally ill son, she asked for guidance in what she could do to help herself find healing. The answer she received was not what she would have chosen for herself, but she went about the task diligently and did not question what she felt was God's vision for her. Now she is telling this story, and adding some advice on what is most needed to help many of the homeless population, as well as the mentally ill. Although the writing is not outstanding, the information and the stories she tells were engrossing.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book off the shelf of staff recommendations from the library

At first I had no idea it was the Danielle Steel who writes love & drama, which are books I avoid.
Which is harsh as I have never been drawn to her novels

However, this book is her account of actually helping the community, which is driven by the loss of her son.

No one wants to endure that pain, sadly there are people who do and this is one way in which Danielle finds some balance again.

3.5 stars travelling towards 4

[John Kaufmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book. Ms. Steele relates some poignant experiences in her eleven years of assisting the homeless in San Francisco. I was touched, indeed almost brought to tears at one or two points in the book. You couldn't read this book and not come away with a much deeper and more humane appreciation for the plight of the homeless in America. This book can easily be read in one sitting.

[Melanie Moore - Books for both my tween and me (I cannot figure out how to make 2 different lists for the ones I read with her and read solo). · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is basically a documentation of the author's initiatives in helping the homeless for over a decade. It told of her observations and efforts that she and a group of friends experienced, which could be modeled in other cities. Having lived in San Fran for a short time, it was personally interesting to see the familiar places mentioned. I think it's important for any person to read this book, who is trying to help people who are homeless, to know that although they are "only skimming the surface," they are still making a difference one person at a time, by giving some comfort, some warmth, and some dignity, even for a short period of time. And to know that the problem is way more complex than just giving someone a hotel room or a job, etc...if only it were that easy!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short non-fiction book about Danielle Steel’s work on the streets of San Francisco serving the homeless population. After the suicide death of her son, Nick, Danielle was struggling with grief and depression. She asked God for a purpose, and her request was answered by helping the homeless. Funded entirely by herself, she rounded up a team of friends and volunteers to go out monthly and give jackets, socks, gloves, and sleeping bags to the homeless. I found it inspiring to read about her anonymous journey to help her fellow man. As she stated, first we must care about the homeless if we are going to help solve the problem.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was definitely not your typical Danielle Steel book. It was more like a poignant novella. For 11 years Danielle and her crew, distributed clothes, sleeping bags, gloves, hats and later food, bags and even teddy bears to homeless people. Who knew? She kept it a secret for a long time. It made me aware of the great needs of the homeless all over the country. Other countries have problems but some handle it much better. This prayer inspired mission gave the poor people and the givers so much hope and blessings. We can all use those wonderful commodities!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye opening experience to see what the homeless lifestyle is like, what needs to be done, and how we can help.

[Lynne Pike]

Hard reading

[Lamisse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my usual style and other than the fact that i was forced to read it was average

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I prepare to do exactly the premise of this book in a week's time with my local Emergency Nurses Association Chapter, I am reminded that "the only life worth living is a life lived in service to others" (Einstein). I wanted to read this book before I spend a day in my community, with my fellow cohorts, handing out supplies to the homeless. Basically I read this book as my personal cheer team before I hit the streets.

Reading comments of others - yes, the book was "repetitive". But this was not a story, nor a memoir - this was a very personal journey that started as a road to healing for Ms. Steel. I would like to remind others, that in our darkest hour, research has show that service to others, significantly helps one heal. This work helped Ms. Steel heal from the pain of the suicide of her son.

Yes, the book may have been repetitive - because the point/context was important. Repetitive topics - the danger, her anonymity, the sheer numbers that they serve - important, important, and important. It was information that was important for her to get across - dangerous: because I am sure there were times she was scared to death, and also a reminder for those who would like to do this same thing - there are significant dangers out there.

A book of inspiration. A book of reminders that we are all in this together, and must take care of one another. A book of non-judgement/none of our business how others got on the road of homelessness, but rather - what can I do to make the road less bumpy. A book of inspiration. A book of gratitude. And a book of reminders that any one of us could find ourselves on this road at any time. And finally, a book of hope - a precious gift we can give to others, sometimes in the form of tokens of love through items others need for survival - given without judgement nor cost (monitary, time in listening to a presentation, doing a survey, exploitation). Just given with love.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gift of Hope is just one story out of Danielle Steel’s life. In A Gift of Hope, author Steel shares with us the ten years she spent helping the homeless. I really appreciated how author Steel, in her kind and thoughtful way, introduced readers to the good, the bad, and the ugliness of homelessness. I had the opportunity to work with the homeless and was fortunate in having taken a workshop about understanding homelessness. The workshop enabled me to understand and relate to the ups and downs experiences that author Steel and her team encountere¬d.

A Gift of Hope is a book for every reader of every age. A Gift of Hope was a great read, a fast read and an educational read. In spite of Angela Dawe’s storytelling, I enjoyed the story immensely.

[M☆♡ Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yo!" Hats off 2 the all the "bullfighters" out there 4 doing sth so amazing without any greed 4 rewards or any sort of paybacks!
Very brave & an overwhelmingly personal insight.
I never understoot y alot of ppl r scared of the unfortunate being so unfortunate. I mean i smtimz giv thm alittle money only because i cnt stand the sight of ppl starving or having no home to go to at the end of the day. So ppl plz try ur best to help the unfornate or atleast stay out of their way n dnt crush their tents like its nothing.
My fav chap would b 5 "The clients" & 9 "In conclusion" .
Its such a big deal to hear a "thank u" every once in a while aftr serving the unfortunate.
Alhamdulillah i hav a warm life! N i wish the same 4 all Ameen!

[Janet Noonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything by Danielle Steel and came across this book by chance. I should say by Providence because all things are part of Gods will whether direct or indirect. While this was not a page turning novel it was something I hated to put down and if this book serves no other purpose in my life than to remind me of the dignity of each person and that there but for the grace God go I. Then it has been worthwhile.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of this book but it was due back to the library before I finished it and I didn't bother to renew it. Found it rather repetitive- there was even a couple times I had to make sure I hadn't bookmarked wrong since there was some wording that I swear was an exact repeat but only a chapter later. Could have been written much better..

[Aly Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't been a Danielle Steel fan for years. Read "His Bright Light" and loved it. very informative about Bi-polar disorder. Her son's death was the event that lead to her surprising passion for helping the homeless. This was a real accounting of a person's passion to help. My favorite of Steel's writings

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what she hoped to achieve with this story. She said she didn't want anyone to know what she was doing for the homeless but I felt that all she was saying. While what she did was very commendable, I did not get the point of it. Also very repetitive.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of helping the homeless - a bit repetative in places but touching

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read any Danielle Steel novels, but this audio is a memoir of her experiences of taking to the streets of San Francisco to help the homeless. Quite a courageous and generous woman!

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and quick read. This book helps in understanding author's life. How author started working for the homeless. What is important to note is the "hope" factor that author believes.

[Adelaide Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um relato autobiográfico de como proporcionar apoio aos mais desfavorecidos ( sem-abrigo) transforma a dor da " perda" em algo enriquecedor