Volunteers participate in annual LI homeless count, provide warm clothes for those in need during cold temps
Tuesday's outreach was part of the nationwide point in time count, which aims to account for everyone experiencing homelessness on a single day
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Snow on the ground and bitter cold temperatures didn't stop volunteers with Long Island Coalition for the Homeless and other groups from helping those in need.
Tuesday's outreach was part of the nationwide Point-in-Time count, which aims to account for everyone experiencing homelessness on a single day.
News 12 rode along with a group of volunteers in Wyandanch and Babylon.
"Everyone asks for, jackets and coats, other items that we gave away was hats, gloves, some socks," says Dwayne Brown, street outreach supervisor for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. "With the weather and stuff, we've come across two or three people and we've seen a bunch of people at the soup kitchen in a in a local area."
Volunteers drove around multiple spots, including train stations and strip mall parking lots.
Brown believes many homeless individuals are in warming centers or shelters right now because of the cold.
The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless says about 400 people are living on the streets on Long Island on any given night and about 100,000 Long Islanders experience homelessness each year.
"We're going to continue to come out this week, especially with the possibility of more snow coming," says Brown.
