KALAMAZOO- More than 20 volunteers fanned out across Kalamazoo County to participate in the unsheltered portion of the 2024 Kalamazoo Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. The PIT Count, organized by United Way of South Central Michigan’s Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care program, is a literal count of all the people experiencing homelessness in our community on a single night.
Groups of volunteers, led by experienced homeless service providers, spent the night working together to canvas areas of Kalamazoo County. These trained volunteers traveled by vehicle and/or foot from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., surveying and talking with unhoused members of the community to help better serve their needs.
“The PIT Count is really important because it is what determines specific funding for the people that we serve,” volunteer leader Tammie said. “The more funds that we can get to serve, the more people that we’re able to help. I think it’s important that we get the most accurate count possible, and it feels good to contribute to that.”
This year’s PIT Count is Tammie’s third year as a volunteer.
A first-year volunteer mentioned that as someone who was unhoused for an extended period of time, they are grateful to help ensure the community receives as much funding as possible to help serve the community.
Using the data from the PIT count, the Kalamazoo Continuum of Care can better understand who is experiencing homelessness in our community, receive local, state, and federal assistance, and strategize the best ways to use our resources to end homelessness.
“It’s really a great way to engage community with those who are in unsheltered living conditions in real time, and build relationships,” said Kalamazoo Continuum of Care Director, Patrese Griffin. “For people who volunteer, it gives them an opportunity to see firsthand the experiences people face day to day in real life and can help change their perspectives of those who live unhoused.”
Once completed, the results of the 2024 Point-in-Time Count will be posted to the Kalamazoo Continuum of Care’s website at kzoococ.org. To view the 2022 findings, please visit https://bit.ly/3SdcVPp.