Do you live in NYC? Or will you be visiting NYC on January 28th? If the answer to either of those questions is yes then you won’t want to miss out on a great opportunity to see the city in the wee hours of the night.

On January 28, 2008, the Dept of Homeless Services will conduct its sixth annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE). Teams of volunteers will canvass streets, parks, and subways to count the number of people living unsheltered in NYC. This important information will be used to help homeless people leave the streets for a better life.

I did this last year with a few others from Christ’s Church for Brooklyn and I’m signed up to do it again this year. Last year it was bitterly cold but I was lucky enough to be assigned the Atlantic Ave/Pacific Street Subway station. It was quite an experience as the rules of the survey mandate that you have to approach everyone you see. Everyone. Some people look at you like you’re crazy. Some simply ignore you. Others roll their eyes. But it’s totally worth it if it helps the city of NY provide better services for the homeless. The crazy looks, the ignoring, the rolling of the eyes - you can’t let this stop you because the Dept has homeless decoys so as to make sure the integrity of the survey is maintained. Solid, right?

So if you live in the city or visiting the city and want to take part in this well organized, very safe street survey then go and sign up. To read more info on the event go check out the website.