Volunteers will walk the streets of Lubbock on Thursday to count the number of homeless people in town.
The group’s work aims to determine where resources for the homeless community are allocated.
“It is a day in which we count all the people who are considered homeless in our community, and those numbers are used to help us identify what kind of needs we have in the city as well as what kinds of resources are needed to address those needs,” said Chad Wheeler, President of the South Plains Homeless Consortium, and Executive Minister of Carpenter’s Church. “It’s very important to know how many people are experiencing homelessness in our community, so that we know what is needed to address the problem.”
“We don’t just count numbers, but, we meet people, and try to find out their causes of homelessness, as well as their situation that may be contributing to homelessness,” Wheeler said. “But this time of year, we’ll see anywhere over 200 people a week, and not every one of those people is homeless, but many are.”
Wheeler said 500 homeless were counted in 2014, and 350 people last year. Wheeler attributed the lower number in 2015 to to poor weather during the count, and a fewer number of volunteers walking the streets.
“To me, it’s very important. We all need each other,” said Ernest Cook, a homeless man who uses services at Carpenter’s Church. “The resources that are out there, they’re not going to come to us. We’ve got to take the step toward them.”
Cook, who was born in Plainview and raised in Lubbock, said he plans on walking with volunteers to count other homeless people in the community.
“Now, I am ready to give back to my community,” he added.
Cook said he was in and out of jail dating back to 1979, adding that he has spent the past four years sober and clean of alcohol and drugs.
“Was it easy? No. It was pretty rough,” Cook said.
“There’s no doubt that there are well over 500 people experiencing homelessness in Lubbock,” said Wheeler. “It’s a difficult thing to count because we’re not just counting people who are living in an alley on the street.”
Those wishing to volunteer to walk the streets can contact the South Plains Homeless Consortium on Facebook by clicking here.
The walk is scheduled for Thursday, January 21, 2016. Organizers have scheduled trainings for volunteers at the following times and locations:
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
CHCL Arnett-Benson Clinic
3301 Clovis Road
11:30am-1:00pm
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Carpenter’s Church
1916 13th
5:30pm-6:30pm
