Homeless ‘point in time’ count is seeking on your help
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The cold weather could help Richmond County as the annual “point-in-time”, or PIT, count is preparing to take place.
This is a way for Augusta to take stock of how many people are struggling with homelessness.
The face of homelessness is ever-changing, and the number is increasing.
“The average person on the street who is experiencing homelessness today is 48, so that speaks volumes to me that my generation is who is experiencing homelessness now,” said Bethany Trapp, who helps plan the count.
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It’s why the homeless task force is gathering volunteers.
“Because of the fact that Hurricane Helene did hit our area so hard we have seen an uptick of folks coming into the shelter, requesting longer stays just because they have nowhere else,” said Trapp.
They’re getting a head count of just how many people are experiencing homelessness in our area.
“We have Salvation Army Center of Hope, Garden City Rescue and Augusta Rescue mission, so we’ll be doing surveys with them,” said Trapp.
The count will take place over the next several days.
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“The last 10 days of every January, because that’s typically when it’s coldest,” said Trapp.
But their overnight count is Friday, and they need your help.
Brennan Meagher, chair of the Street Outreach Committee, said: “We need about 100 volunteers that will come out. Help us.”
Together, volunteers, the homeless task force and the sheriff’s office will work to reach everyone in the community.
“Everyone will be split into teams, and we’ll go out to certain areas where we know encampments are or where we know our street outreach team has encountered homeless numbers of our community,” said Meagher.
They do the count as part of their partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
But it’s more than just a headcount.
Trapp said: “These numbers are used for grant funding, and we look at that, especially with the homeless task force to see how many people were experiencing homelessness and how can we fix that?”
It’s the first step to connecting people in our community with resources to make sure no one is overlooked.
“We need to know what the gaps and services are so that we can start making those connections,” said Trapp.
There is still time for you to sign up to volunteer to help with the PIT count.
To sign up to help, fill out this form.
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