SAN ANGELO, Texas (CVHP) — Throughout the day of January 26, 2023, The Concho Valley Homeless Planning Coalition, with many local organizations, came out to lend a helping hand to San Angelo’s homeless neighbors and take a census to find solutions to homelessness in the area.

The 2023 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count is a census that measures how many people are experiencing homelessness in a single day, not only in San Angelo but across the state of Texas. This count raises community awareness to better understand and advocate for the homeless community.

Throughout the day, volunteers dispersed throughout the city to various homeless hot spots and meal locations, such as along the Concho River and the depot, to pass out assistance goodie bags filled with water bottles, snacks, gloves, and more while surveying the homeless community.

“Homelessness is an epidemic across the whole country and as many programs as there are trying to end homelessness, it seems like it’s just a growing problem,” said Mike Burnett, Executive Director of CVCAA.

January 26 was also the monthly Navigation Day. Local agencies take the entire day to provide direct services to homeless neighbors in one central location, such as help to acquire IDs and documents, apply for state benefits, and receive medical care from the La Esperanza Mobile Clinic.

When asked where the inspiration for Navigation Day came from, a representative of Navigation day said, “A little over a year ago there was a fire at one of the homeless camps and so we went down there, just bringing water, talking, seeing what people needed, and a lot of what people need was getting ID’s.”

From that, it grew into several organizations coming together to address additional needs in the homeless community, where everything could be found in one place.

For more on the Concho Valley Homeless Planning Coalition and to find out how to help go here.

For more on Navigation Day go here.