On Thursday, January 28 from 5-8 pm, the Champaign Police Department again served as the headquarters for the federally-required homeless “Point In Time” survey that is conducted annually by the Champaign County Continuum of Care. The volunteers are first trained and then go to various locations in Champaign-Urbana-Savoy to survey persons experiencing homelessness. This year’s event was lead by a team from Courage Connection and included approximately 50 volunteers. Courage Connection team leaders identified donors for gift cards that would be provided to those that completed the surveys. The event also provided the various shelter agencies to provide the volunteers, consisting of both local residents and college students, with a brief overview of the various volunteer opportunities available to continue serving the homeless. The City of Champaign provided the initial tools and training information based on prior events, pizza and meeting space while the Continuum of Care provided the volunteers. This information is compiled across the nation during the last week of January and is used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for funding allocations. On a local level, the Continuum of Care identifies housing gaps through this analysis. The final report is typically published in the spring each year and will provide a one day snapshot of the number of sheltered and unsheltered in our community.