Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte are now conducting their annual ‘Point-In-Time Count’ to survey our local homeless population.
This week, dozens of city and county officials, non-profit leaders, and volunteers are spreading out across our city to find out the needs of those who are often forgotten and neglected.
Last year, the point-in-time count discovered a total of 1,476 people, including 148 families and 66 children who were sleeping outside.
In their press release, the county notes that “counting is critical to understand the scope of the homelessness problem. The Point-In-Time Count is the only method used to collect information about unsheltered homelessness in the community, which has risen steadily since 2014. When combined with all information on system performance, the Point-In-Time Count provides Charlotte-Mecklenburg a way to look at progress in the work to end and prevent homelessness.”
The county also noted 3 specific ways that everyone in our city can help;
#1 Volunteer to hit the streets
You can sign here or at www.EverybodyCountsCLT.org.
#2 Donate Items
Help out those sleeping in the cold during these harsh winter months by donating sleeping bags, gloves, tents, and a variety of other needed items.
You can access Mecklenburg County’s Wishlist here.
#3 Spread The Word
You can help build awareness by sharing #EverybodyCountsCLT on social media and by sharing the website EverybodyCountsCLT.org.