Saturday, August 26 is the day that Square One Community Inc. Moose Jaw will perform its Point-in-Time Count (PiT) to pinpoint how many people within the city are without a permanent home.
PiT coordinator Desiree LaLonde and volunteers will make their way around the city and perform surveys on those facing homelessness, which will provide data on gender, age, ethnicity, veteran status, etc. This will allow Square One to further understand the needs and circumstances of the city’s unhoused population.
Because they are covering so much ground in a short amount of time, many volunteers are needed to accomplish this task.
LaLonde says that currently she has roughly eight volunteers but would like to see that number grow.
“In other communities close to our size such as Medicine Hat they had about 40 volunteers,” says LaLonde. “Thirty more volunteers would be wonderful, so if people have the time to donate that day would be greatly appreciated. We will be setting people up in teams of three for safety.”
Prior to August 26, a one-hour volunteer training session will take place to address safety and the overall process of the PiT Count.
“The things to do, and what not to do, what to expect, and to review the survey so people feel comfortable that day. We will start within central Moose Jaw and expand out as far as we can, depending on the number of volunteers that we have,” adds LaLonde.
The PiT Count will begin at 10:30 a.m. on August 26 and will end around 2:30 p.m.
Those that are interested in volunteering can email LaLonde at mjpitcount@gmail.com or call 306-630-2702.
The idea around the PiT Count is to provide a snapshot of what homelessness looks like in Moose Jaw and how many people are currently facing this struggle through the community survey.
“The idea is to target those living on the street, otherwise identified as unsheltered, those with temporary housing, known as hidden homelessness, and those in shelters. The community survey will also help us gather the general population's understanding of homelessness and services for those experiencing homelessness in Moose Jaw and seek their input as well.”
LaLonde will use a standardized model that is used within many major cities within Canada when performing the PiT Count. This standardized model is not used or mandated in smaller rural communities such as Moose Jaw.
“The more communities that participate in these counts, we can bring awareness and funding to help address the needs in our communities as well, because what we have been seeing in our community it is becoming more prevalent.”
Being a social worker, LaLonde has seen firsthand how homelessness can affect people and families, so taking on the role of PiT coordinator was an easy decision.
“I’m passionate about helping people and working downtown, I'm seeing more and more individuals and it’s concerning. I feel like everyone deserves a home and an opportunity for support, so if this in some capacity can help make a difference, make their lives safer, and all of those in our community then I want to help support that program as much as possible.”
She adds that taking on this role has been a big learning experience for her but says the people she has met along the way have made it all worth it.
The results of the PiT count will be made available to the public and Square One will use the results to improve their response to homelessness.
Square One Moose Jaw was born in 2021 by the COVID-19 Response Committee, recognizing that housing stability was a pressing issue.