Employees Answer Call to Count Homeless

Supervisor Greg Cox speaks with a man on the street while taking part in the Point In Time count Friday.

Hundreds of County employees stepped up and volunteered to take part in the Point-In-Time homeless count Friday. In fact, more than 400 employees set their alarm clocks early so they’d be ready to hit the streets for a 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. stint.  

The annual snapshot in time is part of the “WeALLCount” campaign by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. The final count is used to apply for federal funding and it also helps County staff identify the scope of the problem and work on solutions to best serve this at-risk population.

Last year, the region’s combined total came to 8,879 men, women and children, the third highest number in the nation. They included veterans, families, substance abusers, those living with HIV/AIDS, the chronically homeless and victims of domestic violence.   

Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts led the County’s volunteer effort Dec. 3 by asking their fellow supervisors to allow employees to participate on paid County time and the Board agreed.

“The spirit of volunteerism among our County employees is very strong,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts. “We knew all we had to do was ask for help. They responded by the hundreds.”

Supervisor Cox was among those who took part in the count Friday morning.

“It was an eye-opening experience. We talked with several homeless individuals, including a veteran and a pregnant woman. The experience was humbling and helped me gain a better understanding of the gaps in services and the many challenges facing these individuals,” said Supervisor Cox. “I want to thank the hundreds of County employees who answered the call to volunteer for this critical event. Together, our efforts will make a difference.”

Housing and Community Development's Kelly Duffek (standing, right) gets instructions on which area her team will count before heading out.County volunteers were asked not to approach anyone but just count the number of people they saw on the streets. If the homeless approached them, volunteers could ask if they would be open to an interview by others at a later date. Volunteers were able to request certain neighborhoods and go out in teams of two or three with their co-workers.    

Housing and Community Development (HCD) took the lead on coordinating the employee effort, but those who stepped forward came from across County departments and included executives and other top managers.

“The support from all levels at the County and the response to the call for volunteers was awesome.  Even better were the personal stories people shared with me regarding their experience; I can say I am truly proud to be a County employee,” said HCD Director Todd Henderson. “A huge thank you to all that woke up early to make a difference! And to those that missed the chance, stay tuned for next year…”

Health and Human Services Agency staff taking part in the count included (left to right) Diana Carillo, Robert Krause, Julie A. Bruno, Barbara Jimenez, Henry Tarke and Maria Ana Jimenez.