ODESSA, Texas — The City of Odessa proclaimed Oct. 10 as National Homeless Day. A day that brings awareness to a real issue, with real people.
"It means so much to our community[...] We have been building up our Odessa Homeless Coalition because we've been seeing so many unmet needs in our community and it's difficult for one organization to put something together, but when you have a village, it can be done," said Andrea Quiroz, the executive director of Odessa Links.
Following the proclamation, Quiroz explained the coalition was getting ready for the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count on Jan. 23, where a count of people experiencing homelessness are taken across the city.
In 2023, the HUD Point-in-Time report found 143 people in Ector County were experiencing homelessness.
According to Quiroz, it takes several weeks of preparation as the coalition works to train staff and gather donations that will be given out as the count is being done.
Agencies such as Odessa Links, the Salvation Army and Transitional Housing Enterprises are part of the Odessa Homeless Coalition.
The coalition has teamed up to gather donations such as white socks, beanies, gloves and handwarmers at these locations in Odessa:
- Crossroads Church
- Latina Entrepreneur Academy
- Lowe's Family Center West Odessa
- Odessa First Assembly
- LL Services
With the expansion of Odessa Links to North and West Odessa, the PIT count will likely extend to cover these areas as well.
According to the organization, this is crucial because the PIT count helps capture the scope of homelessness in specific regions. Including these new areas in the count could provide a more accurate understanding of the unsheltered population and highlight areas that were previously underrepresented.
"It only takes a gentle hand to say, 'Come on let's go, let's see where we can take you [...] where we can get you," said Quiroz.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about getting involved with Odessa Links can contact 432-582-0099.