The Daily Times

Volunteers are still needed to help Blount County count its homeless population.

As coordinated by the Tennessee Valley Coalition to End Homelessness, Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell has been contacted to ensure that the annual point-in-time (PIT) count will take place in Blount County on Jan. 26.

While officials can easily get the number of homeless that are currently sheltered in Blount County through Family Promise, Haven House and other programs, volunteers are needed to uncover the unsheltered homeless. Officials are also asking county residents help identify the “precariously housed,” who would otherwise be homeless if it weren’t for the generosity of family and friends. That can be as simple as a phone call to a volunteer at United Way of Blount County on Jan. 26. The United Way office will be the data collection point. The actual count will take place Jan. 26: a morning shift from 5-7 a.m. and an evening shift from 8-10 p.m.

Two training sessions will be held: one at 9 a.m. Wednesday and the other at 4 p.m. Jan. 23 at the United Way offices at 1615 E. Broadway, Maryville. Training is less than an hour and pre-registration is requested.

It is estimated that each homeless individual can cost a county up to $35,000 in local social service programs annually. The advantage to the county for an accurate count of the homeless would be to ensure federal and state funding for programs that serve this population.

You must be logged in to Facebook to comment. If you're not logged in to Facebook, a login window will open when you click "comment". Or you can log in now. You may need to refresh your page after logging in via that link.