Where did you sleep last night?
This is the question volunteers across Kaua‘i will be asking starting Tuesday through Jan. 29 when the Kaua‘i Community Alliance, a member of a Neighbor Island continuum of care called Bridging the Gap, oversees the annual Point in Time homeless count, states a news release from Catholic Charities Hawai‘i.
The Kaua‘i Community Alliance is seeking help from the community in making sure the count provides an accurate picture of homelessness on Kaua‘i. Residents are asked to inform people they know who are homeless of the arrival of volunteers at beaches, food banks, parks and other locations for the count.
For those who are homeless and would like to provide information for the count, the short three-minute survey can be done by seeking out the Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity Care-A-Van next week. Or participants can stop by the Catholic Charities office in Lihu‘e located above Central Pacific Bank across from the County Building.
People who want to volunteer to assist with the count can call Stephanie Fernandes at 245-4077, ext. 228, or email the Kaua‘i offices of Catholic Charities Hawai‘i at CCHKauai@gmail.com, providing contact information along with dates and places the volunteer is interested in conducting surveys.
Information collected during this count is confidential, and none of the information is shared with other local, state or federal agencies, the release states.
All volunteers will be required to complete a brief training session and sign a confidentiality agreement.
During the survey, names will be gathered to avoid duplication. The survey will include questions about military service, length of time individuals and families have experienced homelessness, and whether or not mental health, substance abuse or other disabilities limit the interviewee’s ability to work or perform daily activities.
Data collected helps determine what other services might be needed to support those who are homeless, the release states.
Information from the count will go to various agencies and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and summaries will be shared with a number of policy makers, including politicians from the county level to the White House.
The count helps funding agencies determine where to target money for services to the homeless.
Debra DeLuis, the Kaua‘i director for Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, said an accurate count can attract more money to help move people from homelessness to sustainability, enabling more people to become consumers of goods and services and to become active contributors to the health of the community.
For more information about the Point in Time count or the Kaua‘i Community Alliance, call 241-4673 or 245-4077.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
