Changing Homelessness is looking for more volunteers to help with its upcoming summer homeless census.
Unlike the federally mandated Point-in-Time Count that takes place each January, the August Surge is a local initiative.
Changing Homelessness CEO Dawn Gilman said volunteers will be scouring Jacksonville’s urban core and the beaches.
"Not counting shelters, not counting transitional housing, we are very focused on who is outside, unsheltered or street homeless."
Gilman says the summer census is a way for her organization to make sure homeless veterans identified in previous counts haven’t fallen through the cracks.
She says volunteers will also be on the lookout for homeless 18-to-24 year olds as well as unsheltered women and children.
"I just got an email from our homeless school liaison at Duval County Public Schools. School just started so they have found an unexpected number of families living in cars."
The count is set for Tuesday, August 27 from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening. Volunteers can sign up on the Changing Homelessness website.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter at @cydwjctnews.
