By Molly Priddy, 1-12-10
The United Way Volunteer Center is asking for volunteer help with the annual Montana Housing Status Inventory Survey (previously called the Montana Homeless Survey) which will be conducted on Thursday, Jan. 28.
Volunteers will help conduct interviews with people who may be homeless or are at risk for homelessness. The survey provides information about the homeless population in Northwest Montana and is linked to future funding opportunities for programs and services for those in need.
The Northwest Montana portion of the statewide survey, which is coordinated by the United Way in collaboration with many community service agencies, is designed to identify the number of individuals currently living within Flathead, Lake, Lincoln and Sanders Counties who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Anyone interested in volunteering to help conduct interviews is asked to call the United Way Volunteer Center at 756-6266. Volunteers will travel throughout Flathead County to look for and talk for people who are homeless, collect data and complete survey forms.
Homelessness rates across the country are soaring, and Northwest Montana is not immune.
Beacon reporter Myers Reece put together a nice set of articles outlining the realities of homelessness in the Flathead for three groups:
teens, rural families and
veterans.
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