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Get involved with Everybody Counts Charlotte in 2019

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s that time of the year again. Mecklenburg County, in partnership with the city of Charlotte, is preparing for the 2019 Point-in-Time Count: Everybody Counts Charlotte on Jan. 30.

The Point-in-Time Count is when our community comes together to survey and count every person experiencing homelessness on one night.

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Last year, 1,688 people were counted. This number included 167 families, 77 youths and 209 people sleeping outside in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

The first opportunity to get involved in 2019 is the EverybodyGathersCharlotte Event on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. at the McColl Center at 721 N. Tryon St.

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The event will offer food, fellowship and information on the ways to support this important work, such as:

Giving time - Sign up to complete surveys with people experiencing homelessness. Information about volunteer shifts can be found at the event or online.

Donating items - Donate items that will go to people sleeping outside in our community until homes are found. Access the wishlist at the event or online.

Raising awareness - Share information with your networks, friends and families about housing and homelessness using the #EverybodyCountsCLT hashtag and content calendar. The calendar provides data and links to events throughout January. It is available at the event or online.

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Mecklenburg County Community Support Services, with partners in the city of Charlotte’s Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, manages the work of the Point-in-Time Count.

Counting is critical to understanding the scope of this problem.

The Point-in-Time Count is an important method to collect information about housing and homelessness that can inform local decision-making.

When combined with all information on system performance, the Point-in-Time Count provides Charlotte-Mecklenburg a way to look at progress in the work to end and prevent homelessness.

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