County seeks volunteers to count Peninsula homeless

Pierce County is looking for volunteers to help with its annual count of homeless people on Friday, Jan. 24.

The count, called Point in Time, provides a one-night snapshot of the hundreds of people who sleep in cars, shelters or on the street.

Volunteers must be over 18 years old, have access to a smartphone, and commit to attend a training session.

The nearest training session for Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula residents will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Key Center Library, 8905 Key Peninsula HWY NW in Lakebay. Other training sessions will be in Tacoma and Bonney Lake.

Volunteers must register online at https://piercecountywa.gov/5985/Point-in-Time-Count-Registration

The county is also seeking donations of items such as socks, blankets, hand warmers, first-aid kits, granola bars and bottled water. These items are used as gifts and conversation starters by the volunteer counters.

Donations can be left through Jan. 23 at any Pierce County library, including the Key Center Library and the Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Dr.

This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:00 AM.