Volunteers sought for annual homeless count in Stanislaus County. Survey set for late January
Volunteers are needed for the 2025 homeless point-in-time count, which gathers information about unhoused individuals and families in Stanislaus County.
The Stanislaus Community System of Care organizes the annual count to survey homeless people on the streets and in shelters. The data is critical for understanding the scope of the problem and how much funding is available to develop housing and supportive services.
“The PIT Count is one of the ways we measure progress in effectively ending homelessness in our community,” Maryn Pitt, chairperson of the Community System of Care, said in a news release. “We need volunteers all over Stanislaus County to make this happen and ensure that we reach and interview as many people experiencing homelessness as possible.”
The survey tallied 2,052 homeless people last year in Stanislaus County. That number was down from 2,091 in 2023.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires point-in-time surveys in counties across the country. The Stanislaus County survey, set for Jan. 29-30, will provide an unduplicated count of people who are in shelters and outdoors on a single night in January, the news release said.
Pitt said the survey will begin with visits to shelters the evening of Jan. 29 and resume the morning of Jan. 30 to count unsheltered people in communities.
Volunteers work alongside the Stanislaus County Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team to help with completing surveys. Volunteers can also help by distributing care packages including beanies, socks, a snack and water.
The Community System of Care is hoping to sign up 260 volunteers for the count.
The deadline for registering as a volunteer is Jan. 8. Those who wish to volunteer can register at https://stanislaus.pointintime.info. There is a mandatory training and participants choose the city where they want to work. Another registration option is to call 209-558-2961 or email csoc@stancounty.com.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Volunteers sought for annual homeless count in Stanislaus County. Survey set for late January."
