Ask HN: How Do I Help Friends Learn to Code

A lot of my friends have asked me over the past couple of years to teach them to code. Most are tired of their job, or simply want to make money. Most of my friends have a little bit of programming experience in college, but a few are completely unexposed or didn't go to college.

I know that there are a _lot_ of resources out there, but I'm not sure what's best to recommend. I usually tell them to find a project they want to accomplish, but that doesn't help them actually learn basic programming concepts.

So, what resources can I point them to? What can I do to help them out the most? I don't mind investing significant time to help, but I don't necessarily consider myself a great teacher.