SAN ANTONIO – Every January, volunteers with homeless organizations across the nation take part in a Point-in-Time (PIT) count to understand how many homeless people are in shelters and encampments in communities. The pandemic has forced many of those organizations, including the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH), to cancel the PIT count in 2021 to avoid spreading the virus. Katie Vela, executive director of SARAH, says the cancellation protects the staff members and homeless people from COVID-19. She says the PIT count is vital to putting a face to the homeless issue. The PIT count for this year is expected to be released in April.