A pair of Birmingham organizations are working together to help the homeless receive their stimulus checks.

Woke Vote, a political organization fighting voter suppression, and Be a Blessing Birmingham, a nonprofit that’s been serving the homeless for about five years, will start their Checks for the Homeless campaign on Friday at Church of the Reconciler UMC at 112 14th Street North in Birmingham. The organizations will be providing this appointment-only service at the church every Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. Appointments must be made at least a day ahead of time by visiting Church of the Reconciler.

Be a Blessing Birmingham Founder Erica “Star” Robbins said a lot of those who are homeless don’t have the ability to see if they qualify for the stimulus money.

“With the libraries being closed, they don’t have access to computers, and the shelters aren’t letting people in,” Robbins said. “So street people will be lost trying to apply for the stimulus checks.”

The stimulus checks, which started going out last week, provide adults who earn up to $75,000 with $1,200; married couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $2,400. Parents will also receive $500 per child. The funds can be direct deposited or sent via a paper check. Both Woke Vote and Be a Blessing Birmingham said those who are homeless can use the church’s address to receive paper checks if they qualify for the stimulus money.

There is a concern those who are lower-income or homeless will miss out on their stimulus check because they move frequently or they don’t have a bank account. Woke Vote Founder DeJuana Thompson said at least five volunteers will be stationed at the church to help the homeless community navigate the process of seeing if they qualify for the money.

“In this particular part of the community, the trend has been that many of them have not even signed up for it because they didn't know that they could,” Thompson said. “Just like there is no harm in registering (to vote) more than one time if you are afraid your registration is not current, there's no harm in submitting their information and making sure that it is in the system.”

The volunteers will monitor the process once the information has been submitted and will help out individuals if there is an error, Thompson said.

“We are not 100% sure what they will actually receive. We don't know if it will be the $1,200, but we know that there is money there, and they are eligible to at least request it,” Thompson said. “We don't know all of the ins and outs of it, but we are willing to step up and be an intermediary to help make sure that, whatever those resources are, we get those for our Birmingham citizens.”

Robbins said the money will give those who are homeless a boost of hope.

“It can get them off the streets for couple of nights,” Robbins said. “They can get a hotel room or it can be a jump-start in helping them pay a deposit somewhere. We want them to have access just like everybody else.”

Because of the nature of her nonprofit, Robbins has been a listening ear for those experiencing financial woes during the outbreak. She has talked to families who are dealing with unemployment. Food is becoming a big need.

The second part of the campaign is asking those who can donate a portion of their stimulus check to do so by visiting www.checksforthehomeless.com and click donate. When entering your donation, Robbins said specify that your contribution is for the stimulus checks campaign.

“There are a lot of people hurting right now,” Robbins said. “We are asking for people to help those who are not going to be able to have access to this money.”

This article is a part of the Black Magic Project, which focuses on people who embody the resilient and empowering legacy of the black community. If you’re a Facebook user, you can join our Black Magic Project group, where we talk about stories, topics and issues concerning black Alabamians.