The 2023 Point in Time count is a federally required census to count the homeless population on a given night in counties across the nation.
The Easterseals Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program, allowed our station to tag along while they were out helping with the count.
Lead by James "Patch" Ackland, the majority of the team are former veterans themselves wanting to help how they can.
“We try to enroll them in the program get them to start thinking about employment, start thinking about training, some things we can do to better them, build them resumes, interview clothing, get them cleaned up, and then get them in connection with the resources available throughout the community,” said Ackland.
Patch and his team were in Veneta Thursday and were assigned a stretch of land along the Willamette on Friday.
“It's rough on us, we were talking about it earlier, that out here we record all their hardships and then we just leave them where they're at, it's hard on us but that's not how we're attacking it, we're remembering who they are and where they're at, and we're going to come back.”
Patch said it is the hardest part about the "Point in Time" count, but he knows having this record can help Easterseals and other outreach groups find and help these people down the line.
One member of Patch's team, Bryan Brady, was a former homeless veteran himself, who was enrolled in a program through the Eugene Mission less than six months ago.
“I was in what's called the R-3 program, and there you can stay as long as you need to. But from there you can do everything, they have so many programs they'll hook you up with, they're who hooked me up with the Easterseals,” said Brady.
After getting a job with the Easterseals, Brady is now driven to help those who are in a situation like he was
“And we always tell people you don't us any thanks whatsoever, this is the least we can do to help you out. We're here to help, and that's what we do. We're gonna bend over backwards to help you out and get you anything you need to get you working,” says Brady.
Through the 36-hour period, Easterseals counted roughly 70 unhoused people, finding a handful of veterans along the way.