Oakland and Alameda County are asking for volunteers to help with the annual “point in time” count of homeless residents.
The count is scheduled for Jan. 25 and officials are looking for 350 volunteers — so far 230 people have signed up as of this week.
“The annual Point in Time count enables us to better allocate resources and implement effective programs to tackle this issue head-on,” Mayor Sheng Thao said in a news release. “Together, as One Oakland, we can create a compassionate and inclusive Oakland where no one is left behind.”
The count includes individuals and families sleeping outside, in vehicles, in emergency shelters and transitional housing and is intended to be a snapshot of homelessness on a single night in Alameda County, according to organizers.
Volunteers will help conduct surveys, collect data and interact directly with homeless residents and will receive training prior to the event.
People can sign up by visiting https://alameda24.pointintime.info