Volunteer Opportunity: Point-in-Time Count of Connecticut’s Homeless Population

A great one-time volunteer opportunity from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness:

CCEH-Logo-Color-122KB-2011-10-05-CSDEvery January, the CT Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) coordinates the Point in-Time Count of the state’s homeless population.  The count provides valuable information on the location and needs of those individuals in our community who experience street homelessness, and is used to measure our progress toward ending homelessness.

The 2015 count is on Jan. 28, and CCEH needs your help to do it.  To conduct the Point in Time Count, teams of volunteers canvass the streets, parks, and camps, and administer a short survey to collect important demographic information. Volunteers will be paired with experienced local providers and seasoned volunteers. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old or 16-17 years old accompanied by an adult.

This year’s count takes place from 7pm to 11pm (or 4am – 7am on 1/29 depending on the region) on Jan. 28.

You can make a difference in your community, and you might find it to be a life-changing experience.  Here is what a volunteer from our New Haven PIT count had to say: “Many people see homelessness as a problem that can’t be solved, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that they have never gone out and spoken with someone experiencing homelessness. For me, this was a great personal experience, and allowed me to contribute personally to real and positive change.”

There is a solution for every person without a home.  It starts with understanding who each person is, and what they need.  In volunteering for the PIT, you can help your community advance the goal of ending homelessness.

Requirements:

  • Receiving training (approximately one hour) to learn tips and tools on surveying people who are homeless.
  • Assisting with the Homeless Census in late January. Volunteers who offer flexibility in location assignments are greatly appreciated; and those with special skill sets such as being bilingual are greatly in demand.
  • Volunteers who are willing to provide the use of their vehicle are also in high demand.

To volunteer, please contact Jackie Janosko at jjanosko@cceh.org for more information. Opportunities are available statewide, please indicate where you would like to volunteer and we can match you to the area closest to you!

Interested volunteers should also contact Rosy Capron (scapron@wesleyan.edu) to discuss carpooling. For similar volunteer opportunities, check out Wesleyan’s Hunger and Homelessness programs!