VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
2014  Homeless Count in Surrey

The Homelessness Count is on this year, March 11 -12, 2014, and volunteers are needed to count in Surrey!   As you know Surrey is over 370 square miles, and covering all of this region will require 100s of volunteers.

Please see the info from Metro Vancouver below.  In order to volunteer, you MUST register!  Deadline to sign up is Friday, Feb 7, 2014.  See you at the count!
 
 
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS                                                    
 
2014 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count (March 11-12)
Metro Vancouver is recruiting volunteers for the 2014 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count.  The count will take place throughout Metro Vancouver inside shelters during the evening of Tuesday, March 11, 2014 and on the streets on Wednesday, March 12, 2014.
 
By volunteering for the count, you are helping to gather valuable information used by governments, service providers, community groups, and funders so they can plan for appropriate programs to address homelessness and measure our progress in reducing homelessness.
 
We hope you will participate as a volunteer this year by completing our on-line application form by Friday, February 7, 2014.  We also welcome you to recruit amongst your friends and colleagues whom you know would be good at this.  Please feel free to forward this email on to them.
 
Ideal volunteers

• Have experience with previous homeless counts or professional/volunteer experience working with people who are homeless or in deep poverty 
• Are compassionate,  accepting, and comfortable with one-on-one conversation
• Have a non-judgmental attitude and a good sense of humour

What’s involved
The Homeless Count involves identifying and conducting a brief anonymous survey with people who are homeless.  The street survey may involve walking around a neighbourhood.  The shelter survey will be conducted in an emergency shelter.  Shifts will be 2 to 3 hours and volunteers will be required to attend a 2-hour training session sometime between February 24 and March 7, 2014. We will contact you as soon as dates for training sessions are confirmed. Volunteers will work in teams of 2 and must be 19 years of age or older. For additional information on what is involved in being a Homeless Count volunteer please see the attached PDF.
 
Background
Homeless Counts in Metro Vancouver have taken place every three years since 2002 and every year in the city of Vancouver since 2010.  They provide critical information on the number and characteristics of our region’s homeless population and how this population has changed over time.
 
Thank you for your willingness to participate as a volunteer and your help to recruit others!  If you have any questions, please contact Leanne Carmichael at:
 
E: HomelessCount@metrovancouver.org
T: 604-436-6867
 
Please complete the on-line application form by Friday, February 7, 2014