Program
Point in Time Count volunteers
Recruits several hundred trained volunteers for one night each January to canvass the city overnight and count and survey people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
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What they do
Walk an assigned zone with a team overnight, ask people living outdoors if they will take a short survey, and record answers through a secure online link.
Who it is for
- Who can join
- Open to anyone
- Who is there
- Adults of any age
When and where
One overnight count each January. It runs from 10 pm to 4 am, and volunteers check in before it starts.
- Times
- Late night
- Season
- Winter
Citywide, with check-in at the Municipal Services Building in 2026
We do not have a meeting place for this group yet.
Your first visit
Feeling unsure the first time is normal. Most groups are glad when someone new walks in.
First step: Sign up through the city's online volunteer form before its deadline (in 2025 it closed January 6, about two weeks before the count), then complete the OHS training before the night..
You need to sign up first.
What to expect
The count is one long night: teams check in, get a short briefing, and then go out in assigned zones. The overnight count runs from 10 pm to 4 am, though a 2026 volunteer's team finished around 1:45 am. That volunteer described the night as emotional and fulfilling, and said an experienced outreach worker led their team.
Tips for your first visit
- Plan for about five hours out, since one 2026 volunteer's shift ran about four and three quarters hours.
- Watch the OHS training videos before the night, as a 2026 volunteer did.
- Arrive for check-in before the 10 pm start, since the team reviews materials and assigns drivers first.
- Past volunteers often wore a blue shirt with the year's theme, so check what the organizers ask you to wear.
Newcomer welcome
Fine for newcomers, but you may need to speak up (3 out of 5). Why we say this: Open to the public through a yearly online form, and OHS says all volunteers get training; a 2026 city post describes a first-time volunteer, but no page says newcomers get a special welcome or that you can just show up..
Cost and commitment
- Cost
- Cost not known yet
- How often
- One time event
Access and languages
- Wheelchair access
- We do not know yet. Ask the group before you go.
- Languages spoken
- We do not know yet which languages are spoken.
Requirements
We found no special requirements. Ask the group if you are not sure.
How to reach them
We copy contact details as the group or a public source published them. Each one shows where it came from.
Sources and last check
Checked by our research team on October 8, 2026. This was a closer look, including what a first visit is like.
- Last seen active
- March 2026 (See the evidence)
- Last checked by our team
- October 8, 2026
- Status
- Active
- Our confidence in this listing
- Medium
- phila.gov, seen October 4, 2026. Supports: Name, Website, Summary, Audience, Requirements, Schedule, What they do
- phila.gov, seen October 8, 2026. Supports: Status, Last sign of life, What they do, First step, First visit tips, What to expect
- whyy.org, seen October 8, 2026. Supports: First step, Schedule
- phila.gov, seen October 8, 2026. Supports: First step
Help us keep this right
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