Media Advisory

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

EDITORS: Media interested in accompanying county staff for a field count can call 925-383-8845 prior to Jan. 28 to make arrangements. The meeting will be at 8 a.m. in Concord.

WHAT

The Contra Costa Homeless Program needs volunteers from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30 for its annual count of the county's homeless population.

Visit cchealth.org/homeless for more information or to volunteer.

WHO

Volunteers who are 18 or older are needed from all parts of Contra Costa County.

WHEN:

Volunteers work one 4-hour shift from Wednesday, Jan. 28 to Friday, Jan. 30, and must also attend a 2-hour training session on Sunday, Jan. 25 or Monday, Jan. 26.

The location and time of shifts will be based on each volunteer's availability and region of the county. Evening and early-morning shifts are available.

WHERE:

Community volunteers will interview people receiving services at numerous locations throughout Contra Costa County, including food distribution sites, healthcare facilities and soup kitchens.

WHY:

Data gathered from this count help government, service providers and community advocates develop effective responses to the challenges facing people who are homeless in Contra Costa County. The information is a required part of our county's requests for federal and state funding for homeless services.

The Contra Costa Homeless Count also kicks off Zero 2016, a national effort that county and its partners joined in November to end veteran and chronic homelessness within two years. Groups including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition and numerous community based organizations are working together on this project, which involves using real-time data and performance management tracking developed to accelerate housing efforts.

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