The San Benito County 2015 Homeless Census is looking for 25 to 40 volunteers to create a point-in-time count of people living outdoors in January as part of a nationwide effort to quantify homelessness.
Volunteers will join a homeless guide to walk the county from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday Jan. 28 and will add local numbers to other counts occurring at the same time across the nation.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires this point-in-time count during the last 10 days of January every two years.
The census is important because it increases communities’ understandings of homelessness, helps retain and improve funding for services, and creates data that informs future program and policy planning.
The training for volunteers will be from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 19 in Room 203 at the Veterans Memorial Building at 649 San Benito St. in Hollister. A virtual training is available upon request. For details, email
ha****@ap*******************.org
.
Volunteers are expected to have a car and cell phone. They should also be able to walk two to three miles. Community members interested in volunteering should go to surveymonkey.com/s/SanBenito2015VolunteerRegistration.
