WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)—United Way of the Plains is seeking volunteers for its annual point-in-time homeless count in the Wichita and Sedgwick County area. The count is conducted to estimate the number of Americans without safe and stable housing. The results are then reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and studied. "Locally, data is used to inform funding decisions, study local trends, reach underserved persons, and increase awareness of those experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered," United Way of the Plains said in a news release. Results from last year's count showed 691 homeless persons in Wichita-Sedgwick County, compared to 702 in 2023 and 690 in 2022. Veteran homelessness drops to record low The Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita / Sedgwick County, which comprises local government, non-profit agencies, and community stakeholders, leads the count locally. The count will be conducted on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We’ll need 160 volunteers to complete this vital study. Every volunteer will be trained and paired with an experienced professional. These data collection teams will be speaking directly with our homeless neighbors. In some ways, this is our largest community outreach event of the year. We want everyone homeless to know they matter, and we want to end their homelessness,” said Cole Schnieders, United Way of the Plains continuum of care planning manager. Training will take place in early January. The deadline to sign up is Thursday, Dec. 12. To learn more about volunteering, click here.