Volunteers sought for Point-in-Time Count of the homeless

Volunteers are needed to conduct the next Point-in-Time Count, an annual effort to estimate the number of Americans without safe, stable housing.

The count is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2017, and includes both sheltered and unsheltered persons (those living on the street or in another place not meant for human habitation).

“It’s a small time commitment and training will be provided,” said Leigh Lessard, a social worker for Stearns County working with the Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness. “The better our count, the better chance we have of proving our need for support and services.”

A homeless woman sits on a sidewalk. (CNS photo/Justin lane, EPA)
A homeless woman sits on a sidewalk. (CNS photo/Justin lane, EPA)

Lessard also is seeking an individual to coordinate the volunteers from churches and food shelves, where homeless people might be accessing current services.

The 2016 PIT Count found 7,304 people in Minnesota experiencing homelessness. The Minnesota Legislature uses the numbers to determine the need for services, housing and programs to help. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development uses the count as a tool to assess progress in ending homelessness.

“We believe that the actual number is significantly higher,” Lessard said. “We think that people in more rural areas are unaware of the count or don’t have the ability (transportation or method of communication) to stand up and be counted.”

Lessard is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids and also attends St. Francis Xavier in Sartell, where her father serves as a deacon.

“As human beings, we don’t like to see people suffering and we often don’t know what the appropriate response is. … Spreading awareness among our congregations is one way to assist with the PIT Count,” Lessard said.

Each county or region in Minnesota has its own coordinator. Interested persons in the Stearns-Benton area should call Lessard at 320-656-6146. In other regions, people should call their county to contact the coordinator of the PIT Count.

Author: The Visitor

The Visitor is the official newpaper for the Diocese of Saint Cloud.

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