Kingston, ON (February 17, 2016) Kingston will be one of 30 communities to participate in the first ever nationally coordinated Point in Time (PiT) Count of homeless individuals. This is the first national PiT Count done by any country.
United Way of KFL&A, in partnership with the Government of Canada, is leading the PiT Count, locally. A PiT Count is a census of people who are homeless at the time of the Count, and includes asking individuals who are encountered to complete a brief, anonymous survey. A community PiT Count was last held in October 2013 by the City of Kingston, in partnership with United Way.
“Data collected through the PiT Count will help us identify and better understand the needs of people who are homeless in Kingston”, says Bhavana Varma, President & CEO, United Way KFL&A. “This will provide us with information to help our community align resources to achieve the long-term goal of ending homelessness here in Kingston.”
Interested volunteers are required to be available from 5pm to midnight on the evening of the count. The PiT Count will be conducted by volunteers who will receive training in the process, after which they will be assigned a pre-mapped area to conduct a survey of individuals who are outdoors and encountering homelessness.
For more information and to register as a volunteer for this initiative, individuals or groups can visit: https://www.unitedwaykfla.ca/homelessness-pit-count/
Volunteer registration and a mandatory training session will be held on April 6th at Regiopolis Notre Dame Secondary School (Russell Street entrance – off of Division Street), from 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Pizza and refreshments will be provided.
About United Way
United Way works with individuals, organizations and key partners to build and strengthen our community, bringing people and resources together to facilitate change. Our vision is a future where people are self-sufficient in a community, where individuals live with hope, dignity and a sense of belonging. Visit www.unitedwaykfla.ca for more information.
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Media Contacts:
Bhavana Varma, President & CEO, United Way KFL&A
613-542-2674 ext. 1101, bvarma@unitedwaykfla.ca
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