Point In Time
The January 2021 Point in Time will be held on January 27, 2021.
Help us make sure no one is living on the streets in Racine County. Help us locate those who may be and provide them with shelter and information about services available to them in the community, as well as moving toward housing stability. We need YOU to make a difference in our community.
Click here to sign up to participate: https://goo.gl/forms/EoXi3glgV2InqoX72
Point in Time (PIT) is an unduplicated count of people experiencing homelessness during a designated one-night period. By volunteering for the Point in Time count, you will help Racine County create a "snapshot" of what homelessness looks like in our community.
On the night of the Point in Time count, volunteers throughout the state of Wisconsin will be conducting street outreach to identify unsheltered homeless persons and offer them services such as shelter, food, and personal care items. By conducting this count, we learn what the unmet needs in our community are, raise public awareness, and measure performance of our homeless service providers.
Twice a year, in July and January, volunteers meet at a specified location and are put into groups. Each group will have at least one individual who has experience with Point in Time. All volunteers will receive a short safety training before heading out to their designated areas. PIT is coordinated by agency members of the Continuum of Care for the City and County of Racine, U.A.
The count is also critical to efforts to bring in funding for homeless programs in Racine. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which supports emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing, and supportive services in the county, requires that the count be conducted at least annually as a condition of accepting its funding, which is close to $2 million annually.
Volunteers are always needed for this important, sometimes life-saving event.
Youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied throughout the night by a parent or legal guardian.
A PIT Story
Ed was found in a 24-hour laundromat at 2:30 in the morning during a Point in Time overnight search for unsheltered individuals. Desperate and suicidal, he was talking about ending his life that very night. Thanks to the urging of the Point in Time volunteers who took time to listen and comfort him, he agreed to come to HALO's shelter and was put on a suicide watch.
The next day, HALO referred him to the Salvation Army’s inpatient alcohol recovery program. After receiving treatment, he returned to HALO where his case manager helped to coordinate support services such as mental health counseling, addiction recovery and vocational rehabilitation. After several months, Ed found a part-time job. He attended Gateway Technical College and graduated. When he left HALO he often came back volunteered. He is now employed at HALO and is a great inspiration and gives hope to many who come to HALO.
