The United Way of Cascade County and NeighborWorks Great Falls will be conducting the annual ‘Point in Time’ (PIT) Survey, beginning on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
McKenna Dickey reports:
This is when each year, volunteers and the participating organizations’ members go around town and survey all currently unsheltered individuals in the area.
“That includes people living in shelters, couch-surfing, motels, people that don't have a place they can call home,” said Sarah Eckman, development coordinator with NeighborWorks Great Falls.
Eckman said the number of unsheltered people in the area has been on a steady rise since the 2020 pandemic, with the rising cost of housing and fewer landlords accepting Section 8 vouchers.
“Our numbers are specific for Great Falls, so those numbers go to help us try to get as accurate of count as we can so that we can know better what resources we need. Like, do we need a bigger shelter? Do we need more food pantry services? Do we need more affordable housing? Which, of course we do,” explained Eckman.
More than 30 organizations are helping with the survey efforts, including collecting supplies that will be handed out to survey participants.
“Some of the questions can seem a little invasive when you're talking to a total stranger, so we've kind of discovered one way to get people to participate and do a good job answering the questions is we have these bags that we hand out to them,” Eckman explained. “These bags have a water bottle, snacks, hand warmers, foot warmers, feminine hygiene products, small toiletries, things that maybe they wouldn't have.”
The PIT Survey will be on Thursday, January 30, from 5pm to 8pm, and Friday, January 31, from 5:30 am to 8:30am.
They still need more volunteers, to ensure as many unsheltered people in the area are accounted for as possible. They also need more items donated to stuff the bags that will be handed out to survey participants.
To donate items or volunteer your time, call United Way at 406-727-3400, or NeighborWorks Great Falls at 406-761-5861.
