TOLEDO, Ohio — Volunteers count the number of people who are homeless in Lucas County twice a year during a designated 24-hour period, referred to as Point In Time counts.
One of these counts is mandated by the federal government and determines federal funding the county receives to provide housing options.
The next count runs from Tuesday into Wednesday and the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board is looking for help.
There were 631 people experiencing homelessness in Lucas County in 2023, 497 of whom were in shelters, 40 were in transitional housing and 94 were unsheltered, according to a count conducted in January 2023.
Shawn Kellerbauer is one of the many volunteers who will go out next week to count the homeless. He believes in the work and encourages others to volunteer to count because it can save lives.
"We've seen a couple of people not make it, people do pass away on the streets," Kellerbauer said. "Maybe, that night, that day, you save a life."
Michael Hart, executive director of the TLCHB, said volunteers will go to shelters, under bridges, and even in parking lots, to count those experiencing homelessness in in Lucas County.
"As much as this is a data collection process that helps to inform resources and planning, it's most importantly an opportunity to connect with that person," Hart said.
Not only are the volunteers counting people, but they're also giving them resources and possibly getting them into a shelter that day. Hart believes this is something everyone should care about.
"At the of the day, homelessness is costly," he said. "It's not only costly to the person experiencing it, but to our entire community."
Hart said the more accurate that the data, the more people they can help.
"That's going to help bring in the resources we so desperately need," he said.
Kellerbauer said in his 20 years of volunteering, he's been able to see the people he once helped now off the street.
"I'll go through the drive-thru and I don't care if it's at a Taco Bell or a McDonalds or Home Depot, and now the person that you served is serving you," Kellerbauer said. "That's when you know it's working, right?"
For those interested, volunteers can register by clicking here.