Annual Homeless Count Finds High Number of Women in Need

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The "Every One Counts" homeless count was held in Springfield Thursday morning.

Volunteers were out in the community working to document the number of homeless persons in Christian, Greene, and Webster counties. Last year, they helped 168 people; 112 of them were identified as 'unsheltered homeless,' which means they truly have nowhere to stay.

A centralized event for the unsheltered homeless was held at The Salvation Army on W. Chestnut Expressway. Local churches provided breakfast and lunch and event coordinators will distribute needed survival items.

"We have a lot of single, unaccompanied women," says Michelle Garand with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. "So we have a lot of women living on the streets, more so than we ever could have imagined."

Area agencies were also be on hand to provide direct services for housing, Veterans services, basic need items and more. This campaign was part of the statewide count of the homeless population.

Information collected will help the Missouri Interagency Council to End Homelessness.

The "Every One Counts" campaign is a collaborative effort of Community Partnership's Continuum of Care Committee, Council of Churches, The Salvation Army, Housing Authority of Springfield, Burrell Homeless Services, The Veterans Administration, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and many other local organizations.