PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium will hold its annual statewide count of homeless people next week.

State coordinator Lisa Bondy says the goal of the Sept. 25 count is to make contact with homeless people and see what help they need. This year's count also will continue to focus on reaching the more rural areas of South Dakota.

Bondy says volunteers are trained, teamed up and given the supplies and information necessary to conduct the count in their neighborhoods, communities or counties.

The statewide survey is broken down into three geographical areas - West River, East River and central South Dakota.

The 2011 count found 1,453 homeless people in South Dakota. While 369 were women, 707 were men and 377 were children.

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