Homelessness is a widespread issue in the region that needs to be addressed.

Fully aware of the dilemma, Carbon County’s annual “Unsheltered Homeless” Point-in-Time Count was held on Wednesday.

The Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services has organized the count in the county for years, according to executive director Kimberly Miller.

This year, the group has teamed up with Family Promise of Carbon County, Carbon County Office on Aging’s Share Program, Peaceful Knights, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Beaver Meadows, Lehighton Borough Council and the Lehighton Borough Police Department, and Carbon Builders Association.

Miller said representatives from those agencies, along with other volunteers combed local communities to identify those who are homeless the evening of the count to gather information about them and offer care packages including toiletries, gloves, hats, socks, blankets, snacks, Narcan (in some of the bags), and other valuable tools and information regarding available services.

“We also have teams going out and canvassing different areas,” Miller said. “We are trying to make arrangements with Tent City.”

In addition, Miller said they put fliers up where the people frequent, and also shared details concerning the count with local police departments, area service providers, local food pantries, and area school districts requesting assistance in surveying any homeless individuals/families that they had personal contact with either the evening of the count or the next morning that slept in a place not meant for human habitation.

She said several warm sites were opened on Wednesday for homeless people to visit, share information about their circumstances, and receive similar care packages, tools and information on available services.

Miller said the sites included the Carbon County Action Committee in Lehighton; Family Promise of Carbon County at 140 W. Mill St., in Nesquehoning; and Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Beaver Meadows.

She said all completed surveys are to be returned to the Action Committee by Feb. 5 to be reviewed for possible duplication before being submitted to the Eastern PA Continuum of Care for final review and reporting to HUD.

Miller said the Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services encourages anyone who is homeless or has any family members or friends who are experiencing homelessness to either visit one of the sites the evening of the count or call the Action Committee at 610-377-6400 (Ext. 223) to make other arrangements to be counted.

The county’s “Unsheltered Homeless” Point-in-Time count is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development each year through its local Continuums of Care.

The count measures and monitors trends and changes in homelessness on local and national levels, and helps communities (including states) understand what resources are needed and strategize the best ways to use them to end homelessness.

Carbon County plans to hold a kickoff meeting at 9 a.m. Friday to reorganize the homeless task force.

County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said earlier this month that a camp, commonly known as Tent City along the Lehigh River in between Weissport and Lehighton, has about 20 homeless people living in that area. Michael Keiper, 45, died of accidental causes at the camp earlier this month.