One Night Count

Last night (well technically early this morning) from 1am to 5am I helped to count the homeless that are sleeping on the streets of Seattle.  There were almost a thousand volunteers that covered every inch of Seattle; alleyways, cars, tent cities, etc.  Of course this is only a snapshot and is flawed in many ways.  But it is done the same way every year so at least they can get an accurate comparison of the numbers.

Part of my area was around the I-5 overpass so I got to walk on the on ramps.  It was super exciting and I felt cool!

All the teams turn in their numbers at 5am and by 6am it is on the news.  Check here for the story:
http://www.king5.com/video/featured-videos/King-County-finds-homeless-numbers-have-declined.html

I guess the number is down about a hundred from last year.  We counted (unofficially) 2,759 individuals un-housed in Seattle last night.  This is not including the many individuals staying in shelters and temporary housing.  Those numbers were counted as well but will not be available for a few weeks.  That 2,759 does include, of course, many of the youth that I work with on a daily basis.

So, yeah, the number has gone down from last year.  That is great.  Hopefully that means our programs are working.  But still, almost 3,000 people were sleeping on the street last night.  3,000 people.  Does that number register with you?  There are many towns in this country that have less people than that.  There is still much work to be done.  In Seattle and across the country.  There is no reason why anybody in this country should be without adequate shelter.

Will you help to end homelessness?