New London — Tambria Moore shined a flashlight on a tent under the Gold Star Bridge. “Homeless and hospitality,” she called. “Is anyone home?”

Tuesday was the annual “Point-in-Time” count of people who are homeless, a national count that began locally at 7 p.m. United Way of Southeastern Connecticut coordinated the count of unsheltered homeless people, bringing in volunteers from around the region. A team of 45 volunteers gathered in New London, with another group working out of Norwich.

Moore, outreach coordinator for the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, worked with two others. She began by climbing the rocky slope under the Gold Star Bridge, then searched Bates Woods, an area behind Charter Oak Federal Credit Union in Waterford.

“Charter Oak, in their compassion, provided a (portable toilet),” she commented. The encampments, small groups of tents pitched near each other, were empty.

Last year, the count found 288 people, including 84 children, experiencing homelessness in New London County, including the Norwich area. Of the total, 31 were unsheltered, said Annie Stockton, community impact director at United Way. The prior year, volunteers found 35 unsheltered people.

“We’re hoping to go down, of course,” she said of this year.

Moore brought blankets, toiletries and $5 gift cards from McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts and bus passes to give out to people she found. “It’s a courtesy for those who participate in the survey, thanking them for their time,” she said.

Tammy Alger, shelter service manager, explained to a volunteer that the encampments are people’s homes, and she approaches them that way. “I don’t judge,” she said. “I love them through their darkest moments. For most of us, it’s only a paycheck away.”

This past summer, people also were living under the pier. But the New London Port Authority placed boulders to prevent access. Moore said she wishes that it had contacted homeless outreach workers first, so they could warn people to remove their belongings, as they may have medicine, prescriptions, photos or other important items kept there.

After Bates Woods, the group stopped at the former Waterford Drive-in behind Stop & Shop. People without shelter tend to stay near one another and form their own community, Moore said. A man who lives in the woods and whose clothes were drying in the rain, helped another man who lives in a car. He offered him blankets and counseled him not to run the car to stay warm, Moore said.

“It’s supporting each other,” Alger said. “When the world lets you down.”

d.straszheim@theday.com