In the three months between February and April 2005, some 704,000 peopleroughly the population of South Dakotasought shelter at least once nationwide.

Those numbers are from the most recent study on homelessness in America by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and they show just how daunting it can be for agencies trying to help those who dont have roofs over their heads.

Who those agencies are just what they do is the subject of a community forum Sunday (April 15) hosted by a trio of graduate students in West Virginia Universitys Division of Social Work.

The gathering will be from 2-4:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair Gluck Theater and will feature representatives area outreach agencies Bartlett House and the Mon Valley Homeless Initiative; and Project Mushroom, a WVU -led student organization that works to bring services to the homeless in the community.

Dr. David Deci, an assistant professor in the Family Medicine Department of the WVU School of Medicine, is also expected to attend to forum.

Leading the discussion will be social work graduate students Ashleigh Ochs, of Burgoon, Ohio; Loriann Sonntag, of Morgantown; and Andrea Barrick, of Keyser.

The forum is free, but there is a catchthose attending are asked to bring a new pair of white cotton socks to donate to the homeless. The group is currently conducting a supply drive for the homeless in the Mountainlair

For more information, contact Ochs by e-mail at aochs1@mix.wvu.edu .

The Division of Social Work is part of WVU s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.