Volunteering: Point In Time Count with Community Shelter Board

Join over 100 local residents and community leaders to help make a difference at the 2010 Point In Time Count. Sign ups are below to volunteer with us on the morning of January 26, 2010 to help the Community Shelter Board.

What is the Point in Time Count? Funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) brings over $9 million annually to our community for housing programs that serve homeless people. HUD requires communities to conduct a point-in-time count of all sheltered and unsheltered individuals in the community during the last week of January. On behalf of the Columbus and Franklin County Continuum of Care Steering Committee, the Community Shelter Board (CSB) is planning the January count. Volunteers to assist with this required counting process are being recruited.

The best way to plan and implement programs to end homelessness, including a sufficient supply of safe, affordable and permanent supportive housing, is to know how many individuals and families are in need of housing. The Point in Time Count allows the city to get an accurate picture of this.

The count will be conducted on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 from 3:30am-7:00am. Approximately 100 volunteers are needed to count unsheltered individuals on the streets, in camps, or other places not meant for human habitation. Volunteers will be accepted based on their willingness and ability to participate and the need for volunteers. All volunteers must be 18 years or older and complete a volunteer sign up form and liability waiver.

People that go out will be in teams of 5 or more – each led by a team leader, who has been trained.

We'll meet at 3:30am at St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church near Mound and Third streets in downtown Columbus. Dress warm and in layers.

About the Community Shelter Board: The Community Shelter Board is ending homelessness in our community. We oversee over $12 million in funding for homelessness prevention initiatives, emergency shelters, housing services, and supportive housing — showcasing an innovative, collaborative model for abolishing homelessness. We work collaboratively with 12 partner agencies to unify resources and knowledge, helping over 7,500 people each year. The Community Shelter Board was created in 1986 to respond to the growing problem of homelessness in Franklin County. Founders include: the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the United Way of Central Ohio, The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and many other organizations concerned about the quality of life in Franklin County.