On a frigid night, 500-plus volunteers count the homeless in Tarrant, Parker counties

Heading out into the cold night with cellphones and flashlights, hundreds of volunteers participated Thursday in the annual Homeless Count, which is organized by Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.

The count takes place across the United States during the last 10 days of January, but the coalition holds its count on the last Thursday in January each year in Tarrant and Parker counties when hundreds of volunteers canvass the area to locate, count and survey anyone who is spending the night without shelter.

“We do this because it’s really important for our federal leaders to know the scope of the problem,” said Tammy McGhee, executive director of the coalition. “It’s really important for us to know for planning purposes who is experiencing homelessness.”

Having a yearly picture of homelessness allows organizations and agencies to better plan, mobilize resources and provide help to people in need, she said.

“What you’re about to set out to do is so critical to our community,” Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price told the volunteers gathered at Christian University Church before the count began.

Lauren King said Friday that the organization had the most volunteers they have ever had this year. The total was not final, but was expected to surpass more than 500 volunteers.

Thursday evening, volunteers broke out into small groups after receiving an hourlong training. They were given maps of specific areas to canvass for anyone unsheltered.

If the people they encountered were amicable, the volunteers conducted a survey via a phone app.

The temperature dropped into the low 30s as the night entered the early morning hours.

Volunteers searched any place someone might shelter for the night: alleys, camps set up in wooded areas or under bridges.

One man talked about how depression was the cause for him being on the streets, another was told where he could receive medical attention for a wound.

“We often think of the homeless as people who are struggling with addiction or mental health issues, and that’s true. But we also have a lot of families and people just struggling to make ends meet,” McGhee said.