With the arrival of January 22nd, Partnership Home invites the community to participate in its annual Point in Time Count (PIT), a crucial initiative to assess the local homeless population. The count serves as a one-night census of homelessness across the country, allowing Tarrant County to understand the magnitude of its homeless situation and to tailor resources and strategies accordingly. According to the official news release on the City of Fort Worth website, the event organizers are in need of roughly 500 volunteers to conduct surveys with those experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the area.
Volunteering for the PIT count doesn’t require specialized skills, but it does require availability on January 22 from 6 p.m. to midnight. Volunteers should be at least 18 years old by the night of the count, and will operate in teams of three to five, ideally moving together in one vehicle for efficiency and safety. Every participant must individually register, and during the count, mobile technology will be a necessity for data collection, so each team is asked to bring along at least one smartphone.
Preparation for the volunteers includes mandatory training delivered on the evening of the count, ensuring that all involved are adequately equipped to identify and interact with individuals facing the harsh realities of homelessness. The night commences with a 5:30 p.m. sign-in before launching into training at 7 p.m., after which volunteers will be dispatched to their designated locations.
Those looking to contribute their time can choose to sign up at any of the three bases of operations: Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex in Fort Worth, Arlington Housing Works in Arlington, or Tarrant County Hands of Hope in Northeast Tarrant. Each volunteer must agree to and sign a waiver before participating. The safety of participants is underscored with the presence of trained team leaders, and in many instances, police officers will also accompany the groups.
