Image | Smudging

Caption: Community activist Michael Champagne provides volunteers with the opportunity to smudge before they head out for the homeless census on Monday morning. (Meaghan Ketcheson/CBC)

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An effort to count Winnipeg's homeless population began with a smudging ceremony on Monday before volunteers fanned out to visit breakfast programs at Siloam Mission and Agape Table.

The first-ever homeless census, organized by Winnipeg's Social Planning Council, launched Sunday evening at 7 p.m. when hundreds of volunteers visited emergency shelters, transitional housing locations and drop-in centres.

Christina Maes Nino said 223 people were counted Sunday evening and volunteers were surprised how forthcoming the individuals were with their stories.

"They were at emergency shelters where people had been spending all day trying to keep warm or find a meal and yet they still had time to sit down and tell them their stories. And they thanked the volunteers for surveying them," she said.

The goal of the census is to put a number to how many people call the streets and shelters home, which will enable agencies to better target their resources. Similar surveys have taken place in other Canadian cities.

Nino knows they won't catch everyone, but at least they'll have a clearer idea of the situation in Winnipeg.

To make sure people aren't counted multiple times, those surveyed are asked to let other census takers know if they've been spoken to.

The volunteers, who have buttons identifying themselves, will also be visiting churches and the street itself.

The census wraps up Monday evening after a 24-hour period.