More than a basic count: Homeless census helps Summit County groups deliver crucial aid

Community Support Services case workers Zack Brown and Courtney Seymour trudged through the rain and snow Tuesday morning as they made their way to a homeless encampment in the woods behind The Word Church on Brittain Avenue.

Brown, who has worked with CSS for two years, called out to the tent’s occupant, letting the individual know homeless outreach workers were outside and checking in to see if everything was OK. After a few moments and no response, Brown left a backpack filled with snacks, gloves, bus passes and McDonald’s gift cards and continued on to the next encampment.

“A tricky thing about coming out this early is people may be sleeping and not want to be bothered, or they may be out and about,” Brown said. “But for the most part, people are open and receptive to us if we can reach them.”

Brown and Seymour are two of dozens of workers for the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in Summit County, where homeless outreach workers and volunteers conduct a census of homeless individuals who stay in shelters or out on the street. The Summit County Continuum of Care (CoC) is designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct the counts every January to determine the amount of funds and resources allocated to various homeless outreach groups.

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