Story and Photos by Mike Lee

The night of March 10 was unseasonably warm, a blessing in what was otherwise a hard, cold winter that twice canceled previous efforts to count New York City’s homeless population. Volunteers entered the school on East 33rd Street in Manhattan, one of several assembly points for the annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) count.

For more than two decades, the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) has conducted the census of homeless individuals. Each year, volunteers go into communities across all five boroughs beginning at midnight and continuing until 4 a.m. to canvass streets, subways, and other public spaces to find New Yorkers living without shelter.

“For everyone we speak to, we ask whether they would like shelter,” said Marie Libeson, Community Coordinator and a SSEU Local 371 member. “If they say ‘yes’, we have a system set up where a van deploys to meet the volunteer and transport the individual to a shelter.”

The annual count, which largely relies on the participation of volunteers, is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive funding under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Since 2005, HOPE stands as one of the nation’s most rigorous efforts in estimating homeless populations.

The data collected from each annual estimate informs the City’s allocation of resources to address the underlying causes of homelessness.

DC 37 members working at DHS and other agencies are deeply involved in the process of leading, coordinating, and volunteering. In total, 1,157 people participated in the 2026 count.

Signing in registrants at the East 33rd Street location was SSEU Local 371 member Will Wetherley, a Community Coordinator serving as the Director of Disability Affairs for Homeless Services.

“My first [HOPE count], I was part of a team canvassing my neighborhood in South Brooklyn,” Wetherley said. “Ever since, I have been part of the administrative staff. I assist people signing up, coordinate team assignments, ensure our teams have coverage and that no volunteers are alone on the streets.”

After signing in, volunteers gathered in the school’s auditorium to get to know each other before being briefed by HOPE staffers on expectations and procedures, advice on approaching homeless individuals, and how to send data back to Project HOPE. Afterward, the volunteers were assigned to various locations in the neighborhood.

Helaine Winograd, a school nurse and a member of Local 436, was enthusiastic about volunteering.

“I have been volunteering my whole life,” Winograd said. “I have donated food. I was involved with a school program. I worked with students teaching English as a second language. It’s just my nature. I want to help people.”

Each year, the efforts of the staff and volunteers serve as a reminder of the importance of community, particularly with those who are at most at risk.

“It’s important to get involved with a project that gets people thinking about the lives of those experiencing homelessness,” Wetherley said. “This offers volunteers the opportunity to interact with people who may otherwise be invisible.”

SSEU Local 371 member Will Wetherley assists and coordinates assignments, making sure that HOPE volunteers are safe and able to do their work.

Signing in a registrant at HOPE’s East 33rd Street location. This year, HOPE registered 1,157 volunteers at 19 locations throughout New York’s five boroughs.

A volunteer politely asks a series of questions on the health and well-being of an individual near Herald Square in Manhattan. After every interview, a member of the team logs the information and sends it to HOPE.

In December, HOPE will begin outreach for volunteers for the 2027 count. Find out more HERE.

This article originally appeared in the April-June 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.