Marshall County Point In Time Homeless Count Jan. 29, volunteers needed

Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 12:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

United Way of Marshall County conducted a very successful Point in Time Count in 2024. Record numbers of homeless and home — and food-insecure families were identified, which helped secure more grant money to support families in need.

This year, Barb Holcomb is again leading the charge for Marshall County, and she is inviting you to help make the 2025 PIT Count just as successful. This year, the count needs more volunteers. They have secured several sites, and others are in the works.

To encourage participation in the survey, a gift bag of non-food pantry items is given to participants as an incentive to participate in the survey. Donations of these items are needed and include toothbrushes and toothpaste, bars of soap, washcloths, shampoo, deodorant, band-aids, combs, lip balm, hand and body lotion, tissues, feminine products, toilet paper, paper towels, small bottles of laundry soap, manual can openers and infant diapers.

The official 2025 PIT Count is scheduled for Jan. 29. Holcomb said informal surveys on other days surrounding that date will be conducted. Scheduled survey times will be 1½ to 2-hour time slots, and her ask is for more volunteers that have a heart for our community and can help staff at one of the location sites, make donations of non-food pantry items, and/or spread the news about the PIT Count. If you or your organization can support the Point In Time Count in any way, please get in touch with Barb Holcomb at 574-276-6217.