This coming Saturday, September 12, the Midtown Los Angeles Homeless Coalition will conduct a volunteer training and canvass of the Carthay Circle, Miracle Mile and Sycamore Square areas.
The Coalition pairs volunteers with experienced outreach counselors to locate and survey people experiencing homelessness in different parts of its service area once a month.  The goal is for each team to complete a questionnaire with an individual or family that helps rate the party’s need for housing and determine what would be needed (birth certificate, ID, etc.) before they qualify  for assistance.
This canvass information is then entered into a database, along with a picture and location information, so other care and support groups can locate those in need and help them navigate the assistance process.
Each event begins with about 90 minutes of instruction on the questionnaire and methods, followed by another 90 minutes spent locating subjects and completing the questionnaire.
This Saturday’s meeting place will be Bethel Lutheran Church, 5750 West Olympic Blvd.  The event starts at 9 a.m. and will conclude around noon.
For more information, see the Coalition’s Facebook page or EventBrite listing. If you’re interested in volunteering, it would be a morning well spent.
