Volunteers needed to count, survey homeless people in community
The Homeless Coalition of Windsor Essex is looking for volunteers to help with a nationwide survey of homeless people.
The Windsor survey, part of the Point in Time Count of Homelessness taking place in more than 60 communities across Canada, will happen April 17 and 18.
“A Point in Time Count is an exciting step forward for us,” said Angela Yakonich, community developer with the Homeless Coalition of Windsor Essex. “Using the knowledge gained from the surveys, it will allow us, as a responsive community, to create a plan of action tailored to our community. Every survey and every volunteer who assists is helping us get one step closer to eradicating homelessness in Windsor and Essex County.”
Volunteers will count and survey individuals and families who are homeless. The project, partly funded by the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy, is meant to increase the understanding and awareness of homelessness. Yakonich said that in the past, cities and towns conducted their own surveys and counts using different methods, which made it difficult to get a clear snapshot. With the new co-ordinated count, the communities will all use standardized methods to gather both national and local information about individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The plan will also help community leaders and organizations identify how many local residents are experiencing homelessness and give a better understanding of the challenges they face. Yakonich said this information will be “invaluable to creating a community-wide and collaborative response to ending homelessness.”
Windsor’s survey will take place April 17 and April 18. Volunteers will follow a common methodology to identify and count local residents who are sleeping in shelters, on the streets or in other public locations.
All volunteers will receive mandatory training on the process. People will work in teams and alongside staff from various different Homeless Coalition membership agencies. Volunteers can choose from three survey time slots. There will be two slots on April 17, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The third slot April 18 will run from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. People are encouraged to choose more than one time slot.
For more information or to register to help with the survey, go to Point in Time Count 2018 or call 211.