Press Release
January 22, 2019

Volunteers Needed for Utah’s Statewide Homeless Count

SALT LAKE CITY (January 22, 2019) - The annual statewide count of people experiencing homelessness will be held Jan. 23-26. Local communities across Utah need volunteers to help survey people early in the mornings on Jan. 24, 25 and 26 to find out where they slept on the night of Jan. 23, providing an in-depth single-night look at homelessness in Utah.

The goals of the count – known as the Point-in-Time Count – are to find individuals and families experiencing unsheltered homelessness (living on the streets or in cars or places not meant for human habitation) and gather information to connect them with available services, help policymakers set benchmarks to measure progress toward ending homelessness and help plan services and programs to appropriately address local needs.

Volunteers are needed in each part of the state to work in teams to seek out and interview those who are living on the streets. On the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 23, volunteers will receive training related to approaching and interviewing persons experiencing homelessness and be organized into teams. On the mornings of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, each team will thoroughly explore a designated geographic area to outreach to homeless persons.

Volunteers can also help organize returning street count volunteers, assist with breakfast, and help with organization after the count each day. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to participate for all four days, if possible.

Learn more about the count in your area at:

Salt Lake County
Learn more and sign up at: https://slco.org/homeless-services/2019-point-in-time-count/

Utah, Summit and Wasatch Counties
Email heatherh@unitedwayuc.org

All other counties
Contact the Local Homeless Coordinating Committees found here: http://www.utahcontinuum.org/ucc/contact/balance-of-state-contact-information/

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