I’m in the PCPE, and they seem to focus a lot on educating and radicalizing people.
That is important of course, but I thought that organizing material support for people that needs it would not only actually improve the lives of people but also show the general population that “the commies” aren’t some bloodthirsty monsters but instead actual people that want a better world.
What do you think? I think it’s a good idea.
Yes, this is a good idea. You could also focus on the community-building aspect: these are our neighbors, capitalism has done huge violence to them, and we need to take care of each other because nobody else will. Whatever aid you focus on will likely be useful for more people than just the unhoused, which is ahain good community building.
Choose the right community to start in, too. Suburbsn rich crackerville will probably dehumanize the people you’re helping and see it as harmful. I wouldn’t do my first action there.
Tie your work to a larger project as well. Build a list of supporters with contact info so you can push a local electoral campaign, hold rallies to pressure politicians, etc. This will help justify and offset costs, as aid $$$ quickly adds up and you will need donations and all opportunities to build power.