WHEREAS, The continued Great Recession has increased homelessness among individuals, children, and families while straining many sources of public and private help for the homeless; and
     WHEREAS, The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that current economic hardships continue to greatly increase the risk that more Americans will fall into homelessness; and
     WHEREAS, Shelter is a basic need, and its absence takes a harmful toll on physical and mental health, personal development, the education of children, and the ability to exercise individual rights and obligations; and
     WHEREAS, No person should be deprived of a decent quality of life or subjected to discrimination or harassment because they are homeless; and
     WHEREAS, Caring volunteers are fanning out across Washington on January 26, 2012, for the annual Washington State Point in Time Count of Homeless Persons, which helps Washingtonians realize that the homeless do count; and
     WHEREAS, Solutions to homelessness will only be found, and can only work, when government, business, philanthropies, nonprofit leaders, and private citizens work together for a common purpose; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington State House of Representatives is united in believing that increasing awareness and promoting a true understanding of the causes and realities of homelessness is essential to reaching out to the homeless and finding solutions to homelessness; and
     WHEREAS, Governor Gregoire has proclaimed January 26th as Homeless Awareness Day in Washington;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honors all the volunteers who make the Washington State Point in Time Count of Homeless Persons possible, and urge the people of Washington to take time on January 26th and other days to give thought to the homeless men, women, and children in our state, and to consider their struggles with compassion, for these are our fellow Washingtonians.