A small group of volunteers clamored through the woods across from Red Bank Elementary School in the cold of a Thursday night, flashlights in hand, as they helped the city with its annual Point-in-Time Count of the Chattanooga area's homeless population.
The federally mandated count helps governments ensure the voices of people experiencing homelessness in the community are heard and efforts are made to provide appropriate services, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which requires the study in every community nationwide receiving federal funds from its grant program.
Helping the homeless has been a major part of Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke's agenda since he took office in 2013. Last month, he announced the assembly of housing navigators to help people find places to live as the city's first step in a new, comprehensive plan to combat homelessness.
This year's data will be gathered in the coming weeks and must be submitted in March. The total homeless population after last year's count was 623, compared to 576 the previous year. Representatives with the city's homeless coalition believe that may in part be due to improved search methods. However, they were concerned about the increased chronic population - those who have been homeless for more than a year - which increased to 322 in 2018 from 192 in 2017.
"That is an increase of 130 chronically homeless people in only one year," Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition Executive Director Wendy Winters wrote in an email. "It will be interesting to find out what this year's number will be."
That, and more, was what the volunteers set out to find.
"It's one of my favorite nights because you all are here and get to engage and see how they live their lives. It's an aspect you don't always see, but there are certain things to keep in mind," Chattanooga Homeless Program Coordinator Sam Wolfe told the volunteers at a pre-count orientation meeting. " It may not be a house in the same sense you're used to, but that's their space."
The group - a couple of local attorneys, a nurse practitioner, a student and a homeless coalition employee - approached the woods nervously, fully aware they were encroaching in the night on an area several called home.
They kept Wolfe's words in mind as they shuffled through mud created by months of rain. The group announced themselves, telling anyone in earshot who they were and why they were there. The goal was to get personal information from the area's homeless, relay that to groups who could help and then follow up to provide assistance.
Before long, voices responded, welcoming the group as two heads poked from a tent - Christopher King and his partner Kimberly King.
"We were a little worried when we saw all of the lights," Christopher King said.
But the two were glad to see friendly faces and happy to talk. They opened the tent and started to get out to welcome their guests.
"We're so glad you all came out here tonight, that's so nice of y'all," Kimberly King said.
She looked at the group and recognized one of the faces behind the flashlights, the nurse practitioner, Danielle Nessly. The two had met earlier when she went to the Homeless Health Care Center, where Nessly works, on East 11th Street.
The group told the couple they had some personal questions to get through but said they could skip any if they felt uncomfortable.
Nessly and coalition coordinated entry specialist Emma Beers guided the couple through several sheets of prewritten questions: where they were staying that night, medical information, how long they had been homeless and if they had substance-abuse problems. The two gave thorough answers, often going above the simple "yes" and "no" responses to paint an in-depth picture of their lives.
This was their first experience with homelessness and has lasted about four years now. She had owned three homes throughout her life. They talked about how the beginning was really hard. There was anger, and they blamed other people for their problems, Christopher said. But eventually, they realized it wasn't anyone else's fault. They now try to keep a good attitude and are happy to have each other - and a friend who also lives with them.
When the women asked about depression, Kimberly King answered honestly.
"Yeah, I'm a little depressed, but we all are. We're living out here," she said through a nervous laugh.
However, they try to take joy in life's victories, she said, like earlier that day when Christopher King had sat through court all day. It was frustrating - and a friend who gave him a ride had to sit in the parking lot for hours - but at the end, he found out his case had been dropped. He would be getting his license back and didn't have to pay fees.
"We've been praying to God all day," Kimberly King said.
The group wished them good fortune and thanked them for their time before going to the next location outside the Food City off Signal Mountain Road.
There, they found a man who greeted them in the parking lot. They made small talk, explained what they were doing and began their questions, the first of which was name and date of birth. It was the man's birthday, they realized.
A group member asked if anyone had sang to him, yet. No one had. They asked if he'd like that. He replied with a smile and approval.
The group gathered closer, singing "Happy Birthday" before they gave him a bag of toiletries and other items.
"Pretty much everyone we ran into was helpful, and they were interested to get the information out so we can develop grant requests and properly report information," said Jeremy Ames, volunteer and Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition board chairman.
This year was the first time the coalition had moved to a two-day count.
"It was really an effort to expand the reach and time we're going out to get a more accurate count," Winters said.
The effort had other, unintended benefits: record turnout.
City workers, nonprofit groups, church groups and other helpful citizens attended to volunteer their time.
Fifty-eight volunteers helped Thursday night and 24 others came Friday morning to scout the more treacherous locations - such as overpasses - during daytime hours. They also revisited areas they had gone to the previous night where there were signs of a camp but no people.
Contact staff writer Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook at ChattanoogaOutdoorsTFP.