Ric Pawloski is the executive director of the Ferry Street Resource Center in Niles. He can be reached at directorfsrc@gmail.com.

Sometimes we can feel we don’t count in the grand scheme of things. Nobody is listening, and nobody cares. Even in our day to day lives, we can feel marginalized and forgotten. It is important that we all know that we do indeed count. In our loneliness and separation, we can take solace. In Luke 12:6 — 7, Jesus was speaking to a gathering of thousands, likely many of whom felt they didn’t count as much as the Pharisees he had been speaking to just moments before. They were the self-appointed elite.

But He says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”

This year, we are facing two important “counts.” One is the Point in Time count that is done once a year on one day mobilizing volunteers to count the homeless in our area and around the country. This year, it was be done on Wednesday. This is important so that we can properly identify the homelessness issue in our area in order to attract the appropriate funding to assist in eliminating this difficult issue in our county.

In addition, we will all be in position to be counted during the 2020 census this spring. This year, the census will be primarily taken online. Many of us will receive a card that contains a unique identifier to utilize to log in and answer 9 simple questions. This year, the Ferry Street Resource Center will be involved in assisting with these counts so that EVERYONE can be counted. We have been handing out informational cards that help to explain the census process and, in the spring, will be hosting multiple events to provide access to resources to help take the online census. What is most important to understand is that all the information gathered is confidential and is very important to again ensure that we can get the proper funding coming into the county. We at FSRC see the challenges every day that are faced by many of our residents. Our current fiscal year started in July 2019 and since July 1, we have been counting the number of different people that come to FSRC for assistance. So far, in the first six months, we have seen 630 different individuals. This is a very big number, and it seems to be rising from last year.

We know that every one of those people count. They count to God, and they count to us. We work hard to provide the assistance they need directly or by connecting them to the resources they need to live and hopefully move forward in a positive and sustainable way. Your intentional participation in these efforts will help us to properly represent the needs of our county and draw the funding that will allow us and others to provide them the help that clearly communicates that they do indeed count.