Approximately 250 volunteers are being sought for the Thursday, Jan. 26 count of the homeless in Stanislaus County.

Volunteers will work alongside the county’s Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team as they fan out across Stanislaus County to conduct the 2023 Homeless Point-in-Time Count, an annual survey of persons experiencing homelessness. The count data is critical to determine the scope of the problem, help define resources and identify gaps in service.

Volunteers will engage with local homeless persons to complete a survey and help distribute care packages (beanies, socks, snack, and water) to people surveyed.

“Homelessness continues to be an issue in our county,” said Jason Conway, Chair of the Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC). “The data collected will help us address the problem and gain a better understanding of why people are out on our streets.”

It’s also used to help determine the amount of funding available to communities to develop housing and supportive services for people moving from homelessness to independent living.

Every year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities to count the number of people experiencing homelessness.

The PIT count is an unduplicated count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. It’s a snapshot in time. 

Those wishing to volunteer should visit http://stanislaus.pointintime.info to choose a training session and select a city to work in. Or register by calling (209) 558-2961 or e-mailing csoc@stancounty.com. 

The registration deadline is Jan. 6.

Earlier this year, a total of 1,857 homeless persons were counted but most agree that count was underreported since the count occurred on a cold day where homeless found emergency indoor shelter.

The 2023 Homeless Shelter Count is organized by the Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) which includes local governments, non-profits, and homeless providers.

For more information about CSOC, visit www.csocstan.com