EVERETT — Unlike urban areas where the homeless often congregate in city parks, homeless adults and families in Snohomish County are less visible and harder to identify, social service agencies say.
That’s why they’re asking for volunteers to help out in an annual one-day count of the homeless on Thursday.
“It’s not a scientific census,” said Dana Libby, who helps lead the Salvation Army chapter in Snohomish County. “I see it first and foremost as a way for us to identify the trends in homelessness.”
Volunteers don’t just count the homeless, they also survey to find out what besides housing are their biggest needs, he said.
Last year, food and dental care were ranked just behind affordable housing and a safe place to stay as the top needs, he said.
Many homeless adults report that they’re facing multiple problems, he said, such as drug or alcohol abuse, mental illness and chronic health issues.
Dental care ranks high on the lists of needs, not only because problems can cause ongoing infections. If the dental problems are bad enough, Libby said, “no one will hire them.”
Homeless survey volunteers are able hear firsthand the struggles faced by the homeless, he said. “When they start to hear the stories from these folks, sometimes I think it hits a little closer to home,” Libby said.
“You’re reminded how tenuous your personal situation is, and how, if a couple things had gone just a little differently, you might be living under a bridge.”
About 200 people volunteered for the one-day survey last year, said Sola Plumacher, a human service specialist for Snohomish County. Of the 2,666 people who identified themselves as homeless, 800 had children, she said.
This year, volunteers will report to one of four nonprofit organizations assisting in the one-day count: the Salvation Army in Everett, the YWCA in Lynnwood, Housing Hope in Arlington and Take the Next Step in Monroe.
Volunteers receive training before interviewing the homeless, Plumacher said. Surveyors go out in groups to look for the homeless. All children must be accompanied by an adult. No one younger than 13 can participate.
“I’ve never had anyone say it was a bad experience,” Libby said. “We’ve had moms and dads and sons and daughters going out together.”
Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
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