NORTH CAROLINA, Durham— Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, will join Urban Ministries of Durham for its annual count of homeless residents in Durham on Wednesday evening, Jan. 26, the date of the national “Point-in-Time” homeless count.

“The number of homeless students is reaching crisis levels,” Jennings says. “According to the most recent federal data, 954,914 homeless children and youth were enrolled in public schools in the 2008-2009 school year—a 20 percent increase from the 2007-2008 school year and a 41 percent increase from the 2006-2007 school year. Participating in the count is a great way to connect directly with homeless families with children and unaccompanied homeless youth, in order to understand their challenges and needs.”

Jennings also will meet with Durham schools’ homeless liaison in order to understand how shelters and the community at large document the number of homeless families and youth, and ways the Department can better meet the needs of this population.

Urban Ministries of Durham, founded in 1983, is a comprehensive service provider of food, clothing, shelter and supportive services to Durham residents in need. Annually, the organization serves more than 6,000 men, women and children.