With temperatures dipping well below freezing tonight it can be pretty painful just to walk outside.
Can you imagine living out there?
Today volunteers headed out to check-in on the homeless in Northampton County as part of an annual count.
It's a mission that evokes a lot of emotion for these volunteers.
“Feels like I am having a heart attack," said Mike Sciascia. "It bothers me so much to see people living like this."
This group is walking around Easton looking for homeless camps.
It's part of the nationwide, Point in Time, count to determine the size of the homeless population.
Numbers that non-profits use to get federal grant money to help the homeless community.
“It doesn’t actually work that way," said Tyler Rogers, from Safe Harbor Easton. "Where if we go out and find 40 people this year and we found 22 last year that we will get twice the funding."
It's tough to imagine some of these places many people drive right past.
This place is on the south side of Easton.
The 25 year old man works full time, but has to live here, according to Rogers.
Little heat, plenty of blankets, and no running water.
“Try to show people in Easton what’s in their backyard, what’s right underneath their nose, what’s something out there that they don’t even realize,” said Rogers.
This is just one of the places Rogers and volunteers have come to, but the question still remains, why would a person choose to stay out here when there is a shelter miles away.
“You’re never going to end homelessness," added Rogers. "Ten percent of that population wants to be out there. I can take you to six veterans that are out there that’s I’ve known for the last eight years that are living outside. They don’t want the help.”
The goal is to get a count, offer help, and to change the way people view the homeless because some say not all of them are from the wrong side of the tracks.
“They think most of them are just drunks, druggies, whatever and that’s not true," added Sciascia. "I mean Mr. bank executive today can be right here tomorrow.”
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