Wednesday is the day for the nationwide Point In Time Count, which is an effort to determine the number of homeless people in any given community.

The effort is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The goal is to find ways to end homelessness.The Tamaqua Salvation Army and several Carbon County agencies will have volunteers taking to the streets, under the direction of an assigned team leader, to identify those appearing to be homeless. Volunteers will also offer information on agencies that provide help.The count is vital to the success of local agencies, as it determines how funding will be distributed in the future to help those experiencing homelessness, or at imminent risk of being homeless.The funding allows nonprofit providers, and state and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families, while minimizing the trauma and dislocation those affected experience.This funding also allows agencies to educate and optimize self-sufficiency among those in homeless situations, ultimately contributing to the overall vitality and future growth of our hometowns.“The count is a nationwide count, and we are trying to reach out for community support so we can get accurate data. That’s what secures funding that allocates back to them to find some stable housing,” said Kelly Rodrigues, intake caseworker for Carbon County Action Committee for Human Resources.In Carbon, participating agencies include: Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services, Family Promise of Carbon County, Peaceful Knights, CareerLink and St. Peter’s Community Resource Center.Anyone interested in helping may meet at one of the following locations or call 610-377-6400, ext. 221 or 223: Bowmanstown at 8 p.m., Emmanuel UCC, 509 Hamilton Ave.; Jim Thorpe/Lehighton at 7 p.m., CCAC office, 267 S. Second St., Lehighton; Panther Valley area at 6:30 p.m., Boyer’s Market, 500 W. Bertsch St., Lansford; Palmerton at 7 p.m., Living Hope Lighthouse Church, 705 Third St., Palmerton; Penn-Kidder at 7 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, 189 Church Road, Jim Thorpe.The Tamaqua Salvation Army is the meeting place for the Tamaqua area 2017 PIT count. Soup and sandwiches will be served from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Salvation Army building, 105 W. Broad St., Tamaqua. Volunteers will take to the streets to encourage the homeless to come inside, get warm and have a warm meal. Information on ways to get off the streets will also be available.