Homeless Count to be conducted tonight, Connect event Thursday

The Point in Time Count 2024: A literal count of all the people who experience homelessness in the Laclede County community on a single night will be conducted tonight (Jan. 24-25). This count is conducted by every community nationwide in the last 10 days of January at least every other year, according to Amber Meredith of the Free Store Ministry, which is conducting the count. "This provides communities, the federal government, and agencies with a “snapshot” of the situation of the most dire homeless in the community. This year's count will be Jan. 24, 2024 from 5 pm to Jan. 25, 2024 at 7 a.m. The Free Store Ministry was selected as the lead agency for Laclede County and will be going out into the community to offer the survey to those that do not have a safe place to sleep," Meredith said. This will be followed by the PIT Project Homeless Connect being offered at the Legacy Ag Building, 7111 Fairgrounds Drive, Lebanon, on Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon. "We will have breakfast, and be offering many goods, services and area resources for those in need. There will be free haircuts by The Hairapist and free vision screenings by Prevention of Blindness. Jude's will be bringing coffee and The Soup Kitchen at Highland Park Church of God will be helping with the biscuits and gravy. Andy's 417 was gracious enough to offer biscuits and muffins. L-Life, Lane Change, Public Housing Authority, Missouri Ozarks Community Action (MOCA), Salvation Army, Fostering Hope Closet, Compass Health, Department of Social Services, Lebanon Area Foundation, and more. Praise God for such an awesome community," Meredith said.