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Care packages prepared for homeless ahead of annual count of unsheltered population

By Mike Jones 4 min read
article image - Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Nicole Masur, who is Washington County’s homelessness and housing director, leads a line followed by fellow county employees Heather Redd and Matthew Emerson as nearly a dozen people spent Friday morning making care packages for the community’s homeless population.

One by one, nearly a dozen people snaked through a line in Washington County’s Department of Human Services offices Friday morning filling a drawstring bag with everyday items that most people take for granted.

From winter hats, gloves, socks and blankets to cleaning wipes, hygiene supplies, first-aid kits and pocket-sized can openers, the volunteers and several county workers packed more than 100 bags that will be given to homeless and unsheltered people living in the community.

The care packages will be distributed Wednesday and Thursday nights when nearly 50 volunteers fan out across Washington County to conduct the annual “point in time” count to get an accurate view of the homeless situation in the community.

“It helps to provide a snapshot,” said Nicole Masur, who is the county’s homelessness and housing director. “What does homelessness look like in your community?”

Every county in the country is required to perform the annual count, which goes by the acronym PIT, so federal funds and grants can be allocated accordingly, depending on the size of the homeless population. In addition to the volunteers venturing out into designated zones where the homeless typically live, various shelters in the county will also be conducting their own count to help calculate the total numbers.

The care packages, which also include snacks, a Chick-fil-A coupon for a free meal and an informational packet on county services available to the homeless, will be distributed to people during this week’s count. It’s an additional form of outreach to help those in need, according to Donna Falvo, who is a care manager for the county’s Department of Human Services.

“It might not be everything,” Falvo said of what the care packages offer people. “But it’s something, and it’s a physical representation that we care.”

Masur added that the conversations that the volunteers will have with people during the PIT count can alert them to the services at their disposal to help them find housing or employment. Masur said some counties offer lunches or dinners at centralized locations to bring people in, but she would prefer going out in the community to engage them since it might be difficult for some people to travel long distances.

“A lot of people don’t know what is available to them or that we care about their needs,” Masur said. “For me, it’s important to meet people where they’re at.”

One of those people who was once homeless is Julio Sanchez, who volunteered to help pack the care packages. Sanchez said he was homeless as a child living in New York City, and at times lived with his parents and four siblings out of a hotel room using the bathroom as their kitchen.

As an adult, Sanchez suffered from substance abuse issues, but found help through the City Mission in Washington, living there for more than three years before transitioning through Connect Housing to have his own place. He left the furniture for the person who followed him living there, and he now has his own apartment in Washington and works at Harmony House in the city.

“It just gives you hope,” Sanchez said. “If you’re out on the streets and you feel like there’s no hope, you just go lower, falling into the cracks in the street.”

He’ll be out with the PIT crew Wednesday and Thursday nights, and hopes to share his experience and successes to help others who are in a similar situation he used to be in.

“Some accept (advice) and others keep doing what they want to do,” Sanchez said. “Most of the people (the volunteers meet), I’ll probably know.”

The volunteers made quick work Friday morning, spending about 35 minutes putting together the care packages as they snaked around several tables with the bins full of supplies that had been purchased by Human Services or donated by local businesses and nonprofits. A training session was held Friday afternoon to educate volunteers how to conduct the PIT count and what to say when approaching people and handing out the care packages.

“I’m really grateful for your help,” Masur told the group. “I think we’re going to make a difference with this.”

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