Are you interested in volunteering with the 2024 Point in Time (PIT) Count?
Training will be provided (dates can be found in the form below), as well as the opportunity to pair up with someone who has participated in the count before! Click below & complete by January 10th!
Community Action is currently working with a wide variety of social service providers to plan the January 2024 Point in Time Count of persons experiencing homelessness in Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties which will take place on January 31st and last until February 7th.
This national count is conducted every year during the last 10 days of January to try and determine how many people are in shelters and how many people are unsheltered or sleeping in vehicles or couch surfing on a single night. The results of the count are used to help plan how funds are allocated and to apply for or request additional funding for housing and homelessness services.
During the count, street outreach staff, shelter staff, and social service providers engage with people experiencing homelessness and ask if they are willing to take part in a survey that anonymously gathers demographic information and feedback on needed resources. The PIT count is also an opportunity to connect with new people and provide those who are outside with cold weather items, gift cards, and connections to resources if they are interested.
This year, the PIT Count planning workgroup wanted to make the volunteer process more accessible for people interested in the outreach & survey portion of the count, as well as those interested in assisting with tabling and doing our best to ensure we are covering as much of our large geographic area (3/4 of the counties in Western MA) as we can.
We've put together a volunteer interest form (above) to determine how many people are interested in assisting with outreach for the count. The form also has information on the trainings that will be held (one training each in Hampshire and Franklin County, one training in North Adams and one in Pittsfield). Based on responses, we will hopefully be able to connect groups or pairs of people who are planning on participating in the same areas.
Thank you!
