A training session was held Wednesday for the volunteers who will participate in the annual Ohio Point in Time Count of the Homeless count next week in Richland County.

Forty volunteers will first count people staying in  shelters, then fan-out across the county looking for homeless people on the streets, in parks, and in vacant buildings.

It's important to get an accurate count, because it generates funding for Harmony House, the Domestic Violence Shelter, Volunteers of America Transitional Housing, and the Center for Individual and Family Services.

Homeless veterans are eligible for vouchers from the HUD-VASH program, through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

They receive an apartment rent-free for a year, furniture, and health care.

The homeless count in shelters is next Tuesday.    Volunteers for the county-wide count meet at four am Wednesday at Harmony House, then at eight am at the Richland County chapter of the American Red Cross.