Volunteers Needed To Help Count Rockland's Homeless Residents

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The Rockland County Continuum of Care is looking for volunteers to assist with its annual count of all homeless residents, both in and not in shelters. Called the Point in Time Count, it's an annual federal mandate.

County officials are also looking for volunteers such as barbers, hairdressers, nail technicians, physicians and the like. They want to be able to provide attention and often-needed services to homeless people who come in for the count.

The Count is a requirement of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. For a 24-hour period, communities that receive federal funds are required to conduct a count of all sheltered and unsheltered individuals during the last week of January each year.

Unsheltered counts are very important because they establish the level of homelessness in the Community.

Plus, the data is vital for organizations for service and outreach — and it determines the funding for the following year.

Rockland's 2020 Point in Time Count will be conducted on Jan.28 (snow date of Jan. 30).

As the count goes on for 24 hours, assistance would be helpful at any time of day on Jan. 28.

All volunteers will work in teams and be trained. The Continuum of Care will hold a mandatory informational and training session at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, at the Haverstraw Center, 50 West Broad St., Haverstraw.

Volunteers must RSVP as dinner will be served during the session. To RSVP, please email either of the organizers:

• Marion Breland Marion.E.Breland@gmail.com
• Deena Roedema Deena.Roedema@dfa.state.ny.us

Over the past three years, Rockland's homeless population has grown only slightly. Here's the annual count:

2019 — 103 Emergency Shelter, 36 Transitional Housing, 43 Unsheltered. Total 182

2018 — 95 Emergency Shelter, 35 Transitional Housing, 50 Unsheltered. Total 180

2017 — 76 Emergency Shelter, 36 Transitional Housing, 58 Unsheltered. Total 170