NATCHEZ — Local advocates are hoping to get an accurate census of the area’s homeless population next week in order to better coordinate services for those who are most needy.

Catholic Charities and Mississippi United to End Homelessness are partnering with Copiah-Lincoln Community College to participate in the Point in Time (PIT) count, a nationwide effort to determine the number of homeless people across the nation.

The PIT count is used in the formula that allocates federal funds to programs in each state. In Adams County, it will be conducted between midnight Jan. 26 and midnight Jan. 27.

The count will be done with teams of volunteers who have been through training who go to places where homeless people are known or suspected to congregate, and will also have several stations set up throughout the county for people who want to self-identify as homeless, Guardian Shelter Director Donna Miller said.

“We are looking to identify anyone who might be sleeping in a tent, sleeping in a car, sleeping outside at some public facility or maybe in a waiting room at a hospital,” Miller said. “It is important people let us know about the people they know about, because it is all about the money we need to help them — and we can’t get the money if we don’t have the numbers.”

During the count, blankets, food, warm clothing and toiletries will be distributed and those who are counted will be assessed for assistance.

Teams for those who want to self-identify as homeless will be set up at the Stewpot, local stores, Natchez Community Hospital and Natchez Regional Medical Center and the Adams County Veteran’s Service Office, Catholic Charities Case Manager and Victim’s Service Coordinator Dorothy Sylvester said.

The information used from past counts has helped Catholic Charities assist several people in the recent past, Sylvester said.

“We recently had several homeless clients we have been able to house,” she said. “One of the goals we have is to encourage them through employment so they can maintain that stability in housing.”

Though the volunteers who will do the census have already been trained, those who know where the volunteers can locate homeless people or who want to help in some other way can contact Miller or Sylvester at 601-442-4579 or 601-442-0142.