New Program to get Homeless Off Streets

One local group is launching a new program to help eliminate homelessness in Muskingum County.

The Muskingum Continuum of Care Group needs volunteers to help walk the streets to count and help the homeless.
It’s called point-in-time count 2010. The Department of Housing and Urban Development mandates that each county in the U.S. counts the homeless. The 2010 Point-in-Count chairperson Theresa Antal said every year they get a count from the police department and shelters but this year they want to reach out further so every person is accounted for.

"We decided in order to get more funding to get more services for homeless people in this county we would need to go out there and do an outreach and walk the streets of Zanesville and surrounding areas of Muskingum County and get a proper count of how many homeless there are in Muskingum County," Antal Said.

Antal said right now they are at 22 homeless and if they find more they can ask for more money for services. But they need volunteers.

"Somebody who is willing to go out there and do some outreach and someone who actually wants to help the homeless or just help out in the community. "

Volunteers must attend a short training session at the Salvation Army Saturday Jan. 23rd at 10am.
Then they will walk the city’s streets Tuesday Jan. 26th from 3pm to 8pm and help all they can and even give out care packages.
Once the program gets a count they will send the number to H.U.D. and then they will decide whether or not they can get additional funding to help provide food and homes to the homeless.