Can You Give 3 Hours to Count People Experiencing Homelessness in Everett?

People aren’t “homeless”. People are people and some of them experience homelessness. In order to find out how widespread the problem may be in Everett and Snohomish County the annual Point in Time count is held every year. This year it will happen in the greater Everett area on Thursday January 23rd. Here are the details from Rebecca Hover with the Snohomish County Executive’s Office. You can click here to learn more about programs in Everett to help those experiencing homelessness.

Volunteers needed to help with Jan. 23 annual homeless count

Can you volunteer three hours of your time to help the homeless? If so, Snohomish County needs your help during its annual Point In Time homeless count Thursday, Jan. 23.

Volunteers are asked to commit to a three-hour period between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Jan. 23. Training and materials are provided, and volunteers can choose to work in various parts of the county.

“Homelessness can be an invisible issue for many people in our county,” said Executive John Lovick. “This annual count gives us a chance to show our homeless that they do matter and that we’re committed to making a difference in their lives.”

In 2013, 1,996 people in 1,151 households reported that they had no permanent place to stay. Of those people, 757 were children younger than 18.

“Our hope is to end homelessness in Snohomish County within the decade,” said Human Services director Ken Stark. “The PIT count allows us to not only track the progress we’ve made, but reach out to different community groups to find new, better solutions to help those affected.”

Results from the count help county agencies understand how widespread homelessness is in our community and who is most affected. It also helps direct state and federal funding to local programs that fight homelessness.

To volunteer for the PIT count, please contact one of the following area leads:

· East County: Sharon Paskewitz, 425-212-3211 or spaskewitz@voaww.org;

· South County: Maria Bighaus, 425-774-9843 ext. 236 or mbighaus@ywcaworks.org;

· Central County: Lisa Bachler, 425-374-6347 or lisaB@ccsww.org;

· North County: Cathy Kerr, 425-347-6556 or CathyKerr@housinghope.org

For detailed information about the PIT count and homelessness in Snohomish County, contact Nate Marti at 425-388-3268.

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