At 15, Daniel Aleman had nowhere to sleep."My dad had lost his job and we couldn't pay our rent. We got kicked out of our apartment and we didn't have anywhere else to go," said Aleman.Now at 17, Aleman volunteers at Pikes Peak Park Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, the same church that helped him get off the streets two years ago.He credits a single connection there with turning his life around."We met this really nice woman named Hailey, and she saw our situation, so her and her husband got us a hotel room for a couple weeks," said Aleman.After two years of stable housing, Aleman says he felt called to give back."I realized I'm safe now. I need to help serve other people," said Aleman.His story comes as the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care released findings from its 2026 Point-in-Time Count, which identified 1,413 individuals experiencing homelessness in El Paso County on a single night, January 24.That figure includes 308 unsheltered individuals and 1,105 people in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or safe haven settings. The total reflects a 19% decrease from last year.However, officials caution the number should be understood in context. The count took place during a period of dangerously cold weather, which activated the city's Cold Weather Protocol and expanded access to emergency warming shelters.More individuals sought refuge indoors during the count period, meaning fewer people were visible in unsheltered locations.At Pikes Peak Park Baptist Church, volunteers provide meals every Thursday, along with clothing and other support to people in need. Pastor Mark Hensley says the need in the community has not disappeared."We realize there's no hopeless situations, just people who've given up hope," said Hensley.Hensley said the church continues to see significant demand."Last week, I think we had 25 homeless here," said Hensley.Aleman says finding help is often more complicated than many people realize."A bunch of those places have really long wait lists, and sometimes they don't have the resources to help you as well. We got turned down for a lot of things," said Aleman.After experiencing homelessness himself, Aleman says greater access to basic services and mental health support could make a meaningful difference."A lot of people, they aren't on drugs, they're just really depressed by being in the situation they're in," said Aleman.Hensley agrees more resources are still needed."Most of them have no address. They maybe don't have a driver's license. They have no way to be clean, and so opportunities are slim," said Hensley.The 2026 PIT Count also found 283 individuals met the federal definition of chronic homelessness, meaning they live with disabling conditions and have experienced extended or repeated periods without housing, pointing to a continued need for supportive housing solutions.We need to subsidize housing, make it more available for everybody, and I don't know how that's done because that's a huge problem, said Hensley.For Aleman, the most powerful thing someone can offer a person experiencing homelessness isn't always a resource. It's something simpler, something he felt the moment he walked through the church's doors."A lot of people ignored us when we were homeless and turned a blind eye. That did hurt a lot. Just being seen is really helpful," said Aleman.___ _______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less