Volunteers Conduct Census Of Homeless In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Volunteers fanned out across the city before dawn, interviewing homeless people with the goal of getting the most vulnerable and sick off the streets and into permanent homes.
Against the cold, windy rain, Project H.O.M.E.'s Laura Weinbaum leans inside a cardboard box, asking a man wrapped in a sleeping bag a series of questions.
"He was perfectly happy to tell us what his situation is, even on the street at 5 a.m.," Weinbaum says.
Weinbaum is one of 200 volunteers canvassing the city as part of Philadelphia's effort in the "100,000 Homes" campaign.
Common Ground's Linda Kaufman says this is more than just a headcount of the homeless, "We also have a list, rank ordered by name and pictures of people who are going to die on the street if we don't do something."
Kaufman says the next step is getting them into long-term housing with the necessary social services for success.
Reported by Jim Melwert, KYW Newsradio 1060
