An Early Wake-Up Call to Count the Homeless

Fueled by the promise of making a difference (plus a lot of caffeine and sheer will), hundreds of County employees got out of bed early Friday and hit the streets at 4 a.m. to take part in the Point-in-Time Homeless count. More than 500 employees gave up some shut-eye to tally the number of homeless people they see in various neighborhoods throughout our region.

The numbers from this snapshot in time are important because they will be used to apply for federal funding to help this at-risk population. The count also helps County staff identify the scope and impact of the problem and work on solutions.

The volunteer counters had to register at deployment centers by 3:30 a.m. so they could begin scouting for homeless people from 4 to 7 a.m.    

The Point-in-Time count is led by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. In 2014, County employees made up about one-fourth of the volunteer force. In 2015, nearly a third. This year, the County reached its goal of 500 volunteers. In all, 531 County employees signed up for the count out of 1,650 total volunteers.

Did you participate in the homeless count? You can email any photos you took or your impressions of the experience to communications@sdcounty.ca.gov and they might be added to the story.