(Red Deer, Alberta) – Volunteers are wanted to survey persons experiencing homelessness in Red Deer to gather key information as part of the 2018 Point in Time (PIT) Count & Survey.

The PIT count and survey serves as a snapshot in time, and is one of the tools, along with data from programs and facilities, used to analyze trends to help shape programs and services.

The survey will identify age, family status, immigration status, Aboriginal status, income, time spent homeless, and where people are staying – such as a shelter or outside.

The PIT count takes place from 9 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11. Volunteers are paired up and trained. Specialized teams from housing and support agencies will cover more sensitive local areas, such as camps, on the morning of Thursday, April 12.

Volunteers must be 18 years old and sign up by April 3 through www.reddeer.ca/PITCount or via phone at 403-342-8100.

This count and survey is being held in the spring, rather than in fall, as Red Deer and its other partner Alberta municipalities (The 7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness) coordinate with the federal count.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

Visit www.reddeer.ca/PITCount for more information.