Homelessness: Grant County's hidden issue

MOSES LAKE - It was after 6 a.m. and although the sun wasn't quite up yet, there was just enough light for volunteer Nicole Cedillo to make out what appeared to be the remains of a homeless camp.

She pointed to faint footprints and a couple of fire pits, which were signs that a homeless individual, or perhaps even a family, had recently sought shelter along that stretch of the lake.

Cedillo called out, hoping to make contact with someone.

"We have blankets and food," she yelled.

But there were no takers. Cedillo wasn't surprised, and said the people who camped there were probably long gone.

Cedillo said during the winter, homeless people tend to start walking around town early in search of places to warm up.

"It may seem early for us, but what's 6 a.m. for us is like 4 p.m. for them," she said. "Especially since it's so cold, they're already up and have started walking."

Although there wasn't anyone at the time, Cedillo left food, blankets, sleeping bags and clothes at the site. She said the people who previously set up camp there would likely return.

Cedillo was one of dozens of volunteers who helped conduct the annual Grant County Point in Time Homeless Count Thursday morning. Volunteers spent most of the day identifying homeless individuals and families throughout the county, collecting information through surveys and distributing food and warm clothing.

Cedillo's group was in charge of canvassing a section of Moses Lake. Other groups went as far out as Mattawa and Grand Coulee, she said. Point-in-time counts are conducted across the country at the end of January, a requirement of state and federal homeless funding. The counts give a snapshot of the number of homeless individuals in a certain area.

Volunteers look for individuals who are homeless and either living outdoors, in cars or in RV's with no water or electricity. They will also look for families who are doubled up and living in overcrowded dwellings. Accurate homeless counts help the county and the state secure funding for relief programs, according to the Housing Authority of Grant County.

In 2012, there were about 65 individuals who were homeless and living on the streets in Grant County, according to data from last year. And an additional 109 individuals were living in motels and emergency shelters last year.

Cedillo said she has volunteered for the annual count for many years. She also works for New Hope, and said helping those in need has always been a priority.

"Homelessness is a very hidden issue here," said Cedillo. "It's like domestic violence, no one wants to talk about it." Jeni Roberts, of the Moses Lake Food Bank, was part of Cedillo's group during Thursday's count. It was her first year volunteering, she said.

Roberts said she comes in contact with homeless individuals and families when they come to the food bank for assistance.

"We do special food packs for homeless people," she said. "So we put in foods that don't require cooking and things like that."

When she heard about the count, she said she immediately wanted to help.

Roberts said she remembers how family members would sometimes stay at her house while she was growing up. She said she knew that when they weren't there, they were most likely sleeping in the streets.

Being new to the area, Roberts said she wanted to do something outside of her role at the food bank to help people in need in the are.

"In a big city, you definitely see it," said Roberts, who recently moved from Des Moines, Iowa. "But in a small town like this, it's more hidden."

Moses Lake Mayor Bill Ecret also joined Cedillo's group during the count Thursday morning. He said it was the first year volunteering for the count.

He said he wanted to see firsthand what the homeless people in Moses Lake were facing, and take that back to make important decisions at the city level.

"This is a part of what's happening in the city," said Ecret.

Cedillo said conducting the count is sometimes difficult because the homeless often prefer to remain anonymous.

"Sometimes they have a criminal record and so they're afraid of the police," said Cedillo.

Families who are homeless are also hesitant to be counted because they don't want Child Protective Services or other agencies to get involved, she said.

Since the annual count happens around the same time each year, Cedillo said homeless individuals and families now know volunteer counters will be coming around.

Although the homeless are more likely to stay hidden during the count. Cedillo said volunteers still leave blankets, sleeping bags and food items in places that are known as frequent campsites.

Cedillo said volunteers will typically see someone walking around town with the same sleeping bag they left at a site later in the day.

"They know it's the homeless count so they know that stuff is going to get left behind," she said. "The donations are always used."

Although Cedillo volunteers for the homeless count each year, it isn't the only way she helps the less fortunate in Moses Lake.

Cedillo has helped take care of 83-year-old Tony Sorrentino for the past five years. He has been homeless since he was 16, she said.

Cedillo said she met him a few years back while he was riding his bike along a road by her parent's house.

Until recently, Sorrentino has lived in a camper in an abandoned field. Since the camper has no running water or electricity, he is considered homeless.

Although Sorrentino is currently living in a nursing home due to a recent hospitalization, Cedillo said he will soon be released.

She visited Sorrentino during the count to bring him a new blanket, a jacket and food for when he has to leave the nursing facility.

"It's rare that you get to build a relationship with someone who is homeless," she said. "I was just blessed."