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Released 25 January 2012
Media contact:
Audrey Esther
Community Relations Director
The Salvation Army Ozark Area Coordination
Office: (417) 862-5509 ext. 116
Cell: (417) 763-1357
Audrey_Esther@usc.salvationarm y.org
HOMELESS COUNT EVENT
HELPS MORE THAN 160 INDIVIDUALS
Majority identified as ‘unsheltered homeless'
Springfield, MO (January 25, 2012) - During Wednesday's "Every One Counts" homeless count event at The Salvation Army, 168 individuals received assistance from local service providers and agencies. Of those, 112 were identified as ‘unsheltered' homeless with truly nowhere to stay.
The goal of the one-day event is to not only count the local community's homeless population but to also provide them with assistance and vital services.
In addition to receiving basic survival items such as winter weather accessories, personal hygiene products, bus passes and sleeping bags those who attended were also able to meet with representatives from the Veteran's Administration and Housing Authority, which received 20 applications for permanent housing.
Also, more than 100 volunteers helped serve meals and provided general assistance during Wednesday's event.
The bi-annual homeless count is part of the "Every One Counts" Unsheltered Homeless Count Campaign, which is part of the statewide count of the homeless population. The information collected will assist in the work of the Missouri Interagency Council to End Homelessness. Providers and policymakers will also be able to use the collected information to address the problem of homelessness on the local level.
The "Every One Counts" campaign is a collaborative effort of Community Partnership's Continuum of Care Committee, Council of Churches, Housing Authority of Springfield, Burrell Homeless Services, The Veterans Administration, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and many other local organizations.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org.
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