100 volunteers needed for the 2023 Wichita-Sedgwick County Point-In-Time Homeless Count on January 26

WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 6, 2022 — The annual Point-In-Time Homeless Count is a national effort undertaken once a year by professionals and volunteers to estimate the number of Americans who don’t have safe and stable housing. The results are reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to study national trends and as part of the HUD grant requirements. The count information is also used by the Impact ICT – Continuum of Care (CoC) to make local funding decisions, study trends, reach underserved persons, and increase awareness about those who don’t have stable housing.

United Way of the Plains and its partner agencies will work with volunteers to conduct the 2023 Point-In-Time Homeless Count for the Wichita and Sedgwick County area on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Impact ICT – Continuum of Care (CoC) is the community coalition led by United Way of the Plains. The coalition works to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.

Cole Schnieders of United Way of the Plains manages Impact ICT – CoC and is leading the 2023 data collection efforts. Schnieders says it’s imperative for the coalition to collect information, analyze it and share what they learn. “We’ll need 100 volunteers to complete this vital study. Every volunteer will be trained and paired with an experienced professional. Our goal is to collect data from those who are homeless in a caring and considerate manner. These data collection teams will be speaking with the homeless face-to-face and gathering information that will eventually be used to get them into a safer and more stable environment.”

Those interested in volunteering can learn more on United Way’s volunteer website. Training will take place in early January, so volunteers are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. Anyone who sees someone who appears to be homeless on that day should share that information with United Way 211 Information and Referral Service to ensure they’re included in the count. Dial 2-1-1 or text 898-211 with this information.

The last Point-In-Time Homeless Count in Wichita-Sedgwick County was conducted on February 24, 2022. Results showed a total number of 690 homeless persons in Wichita-Sedgwick County compared to 619 in 2020. A complete count was not conducted in 2021 due to various service disruptions caused by the pandemic. Check this link for more information about the latest count and to find helpful definitions. Visit the website to learn more about the work of Impact ICT – Continuum of Care (CoC).

Reports about past counts conducted across the nation can be found on the HUD EXCHANGE website at hudexchange.info.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Angie Prather, Vice President of Marketing and Chief Community Engagement Officer, (316) 267‑1321, ext. 4105, aprather@unitedwayplains.org

United Way of the Plains is a nonprofit and for-impact organization that focuses on health, education, financial stability and basic needs – the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community. Our mission is to improve lives by harnessing the caring power of our community to advance the common good in south central Kansas. Follow us on these social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.