Volunteers needed to assess homelessness

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on December 28, 2015

On what typically tends to be a frigid, inhospitable evening, Chester County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) is inviting residents to walk in the shoes of the homeless.

The county need volunteers to canvass designated areas to help determine the number of people lacking appropriate shelter during the annual Point-In-Time Count. The federally-mandated assessment will begin on the night of Jan. 27 and extend into the early hours of Jan. 28.

The 2016 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a required national and statewide effort mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to tally the total number of homeless individuals and families experiencing homelessness on a given night. Chester County’s DCD staff, along with the trained volunteers, will canvass the urban centers, looking for unsheltered homeless individuals and families. Data from the count is included in the Annual Homeless Assessment Report, which is presented annually to Congress.

Volunteers are needed for two time frames – from 10 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 27 or from 12:30 to 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 28. The areas selected for canvassing will include West Chester, Coatesville, Oxford, Kennett Square, and Phoenixville. Group leaders will head each volunteer team assigned to a specific area..

In addition to participating in a two-hour shift during the count, volunteers must be available for one training webinar, which will be held on Monday, Jan. 18, at either 2 or 3 p.m.

“The Point in Time Count offers a great opportunity for individuals or small groups from all sectors of the community to make a difference in helping alleviate homelessness,” Pat Bokovitz, director of the Chester County Department of Community Development, said in a press release. “By signing up to volunteer, you can help the community to better understand homelessness, and help those experiencing homelessness to receive the services they need.”

To find out more about volunteering, go to www.decadetodoorways.org or contact Gene Suski at chescopit@gmail.com or 610-344-6900. Interested individuals or groups have until Friday, Jan. 8, to sign up for the 2016 Point-in-Time Count in Chester County. Additional information can be found on the Point-in-Time Count for Chester County Facebook page: www.facebook.com/chescopit.