Newer World

Homelessness image from Sleepless in Winchester's Facebook page.

Did you know that last winter a survey showed there were 531 homeless people in Clark County? And that’s just the number volunteers were able to find and count.

The government’s definition of homeless includes people who are “precariously housed” or overcrowded (two or more families living in a space intended for one). But there are actually believed to be about 20 people living “unsheltered.” They’re sleeping out in the open, under bridges or wherever they can find a place to lay their heads.

Several people in Clark County who want to experience what it’s like to have to live outdoors like the homeless — and to help the homeless at the same time — will be at Lykins Park tonight for Sleepless in Winchester, an event to raise money to help Clark County Community Services match a challenge grant of $50,000 to provide temporary housing and other assistance for the homeless, including some families with young children in our community.

I’ll be there with them, and will be reporting on the event here at Newer World, in the pages of The Winchester Sun and on our Web site, www.winchestersun.com. I intend to take pictures and shoot video as well as write about my first-hand experiences.

There will be Christian rock bands performing during the evening, and those who want to attend, even for a few hours, can pay $5 at the gate to get in. I hope to see you there.

If you want more information, the Rev. James Williams’ Facebook page, Sleepless in Winchester, has a good description of the event, and one of our reporters at the Sun, Fred Petke, wrote a good preview story for our Web site.

I hope to see you there.

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