Attendees will hear inspiring stories and learn about the latest solutions for ending homelessness in Clark County

The Council for the Homeless 2023 “Gathering for Change: Solving Homelessness Together” event will be held Thu.,  Oct. 19, at the Kiggins Theatre at 5 p.m. Access Architecture is the presenting sponsor. Attendees will hear inspiring stories and learn about the latest solutions for ending homelessness in Clark County. 

Tickets are $125 per person and people also can register to watch the livestream of the event at no charge. Food and beverages will be served for in-person guests. People who participate in the event via live streaming will receive a coupon for a complimentary meal from Little Conejo restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

Ticket purchases and donations support the Council’s work in the community to prevent and end homelessness. Details and registration links are at www.councilforthehomeless.org/gatheringforchange.

Gathering for Change will feature keynote speaker Marc Eichenbaum, who will share the steps taken in Houston to find permanent homes for 25,000 people over the past 11 years. The event will include a first-person story from Geri, a Council for the Homeless client. Geri will describe her journey from a tent encampment in Clark County to her current residence in a safe, secure home that she found with assistance from Council for the Homeless.

The intent of Gathering for Change is to highlight homelessness strategies used in Houston — including having a shared vision and a high level of collaboration and compromise among stakeholders. Lessons learned from Houston can inform our local approach to ending homelessness and help build on the partnerships and progress currently in place.

In Houston, more than 100 public and private agencies collaborated to create an initiative — The Way Home — that addressed the needs of the unhoused population there. Eichenbaum will describe how Houston delivered housing and supportive services to help people end their homelessness and stabilize.

“Council for the Homeless was created to lead the homeless response system,” shares Sesany Fennie-Jones, executive director of the organization. “At our event, we will gather the community; learn and be inspired; and harness our collective energy to move forward together.”

Details: Gathering for Change: Solving Homelessness Together
When: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023
Where: The historic Kiggins Theatre in downtown Vancouver, 1011 Main St., Vancouver, Wash. 98660
Livestream: Broadcast live from the Kiggins Theatre; RSVP for virtual viewing to receive the livestream link
Time: Kiggins Theatre doors open at 4:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 5:30 p.m.; Live Stream Pre Show begins at 5 p.m., with the program beginning at 5:30 p.m.

About keynote speaker Marc Eichenbaum

Marc Eichenbaum serves as special assistant to the mayor for homeless initiatives. Marc is a licensed attorney who specializes in public policy and strategic communications. Appointed by two administrations, Marc leads Houston’s involvement in The Way Home, that city’s globally recognized homeless response system. Since 2012, The Way Home permanently housed more than 25,000 individuals experiencing homelessness, effectively ending veteran homelessness and reducing overall homelessness by 60%.

About Council for the Homeless

Council for the Homeless is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide community leadership, compelling advocacy and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County.