Volunteers are being sought to participate in the Homeless Point-In-Time (PIT) Count set to take place on Thursday, Jan. 30.

The annual count produces data critical to determining the scope of the problem and the amount of funding available to communities to develop housing and supportive services for people moving from homelessness to independent living.

Volunteers will work alongside the Stanislaus County Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team as they fan out and engage with homeless persons to complete a survey and help distribute care packages (beanies, socks, snack, and water) to people they meet.

The goal is to register 260 volunteers. To participate, visit https://stanislaus.pointintime.info/ to register. A mandatory training is required and persons may select the city where they wish to count. Also register by calling at 209-558-2961 or e-mailing csoc@stancounty.com. The registration deadline is Jan. 8, 2025.

“The PIT Count is one of the ways we measure progress in effectively ending homelessness in our community,” stated Maryn Pitt, Chair of the Community System of Care. “We need volunteers all over Stanislaus County to make this happen and ensure that we reach and interview as many people experiencing homelessness as possible.”

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

Every year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities to count the number of people experiencing homelessness in counties across the nation. It’s a snapshot in time, an unduplicated count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.