On the night of this year's Point-in-Time count (Jan 24th), 135 households went without appropriate shelter (slept outdoors, in a car, or in an abandoned building).  I don't know exactly how many individuals that counts up to, since the County has not yet publicly released the full results of the PTC census.  I can check with the Housing Authority and get back to you if you like.

As far as how many "don't want to", I'd say all of them.  The answer to the question depends on how the question is framed.  If you ask how many people really just like to sleep outside every night, the answer is "none".  If you ask how many people would prefer to sleep outside over staying at a particular shelter, the answer (we're speaking of a very particular shelter that I won't name online) is a lot.  Some of them might tell you they'd rather drink draino.  If you ask how many would prefer to sleep outside over staying in a decent, sanitary, and well-run emergency shelter, the answer is just a few (and their reasons will run along the lines of privacy and independence).  Nobody at all would pass up an apartment to sleep outside.

The Canaanite's Call

There are four primary volunteer opportunities that we are recruiting for at the moment: shelter host, Camp Q host/hospitality tent, outreach volunteer, and shelter screener.

Shelter hosts stay overnight at the wintertime family overflow shelter, which rotates every two weeks from faith community to faith community.  The doors open at 7PM, you get to hang out with the guests for a few hours, and then lights out at 10PM.  You get to sleep the rest of the night (bedding provided), provided that there are no middle-of-the-night guest needs. 

Host tent volunteers at Camp Quixote work three hour shifts offering hospitality to the campers and a sense of security to the community (in reality, the Camp does all its own policing).  Basically, as a host tent volunteer, you'll spend your time drinking hot cocoa and getting to know the campers.  The camp is currently located at St. John's on 20th & Capitol, and will move to First Christian Church on 7th & Franklin in December.

The outreach and shelter screener positions work from the Family Support Center's homeless services office (upstairs in the building on the NW corner of State & Capitol).  Outreach volunteers work 2 hours shifts, going out in two's to scheduled sites in the community (like the Food Bank or the Salv. Army soup kitchen), and offering referrals to various social services (for a sense of the range of referrals, see our advocacy guide).  Shelter screeners work in the office and provide screening and referral for the family overflow shelter, as well as basic services referrals and advocacy.

All four of the volunteer positions involve training.  The shelter and Camp Q hosts get about one to two hours of training; the outreach and screener volunteers get about 8 hours of training.

All four of the positions are a lot of fun, but they are also challenging and transformative.  A lot of people will get involved because they want to make a difference for others (and they will); I want to make sure that folks also realize that in volunteering a difference will be made for them, too.

The Canaanite's Call