The annual event, set for Dec. 21, offers an opportunity to remember our friends and neighbors who passed in 2024

A Homeless Persons Memorial Day ceremony will be held Saturday, Dec. 21, on the front steps of St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver, Wash. The pre-event (music and spoken word) begins at 5 p.m., and the main event is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the event inside the church building.

The event is organized by Council for the Homeless, City of Vancouver HART (Homeless Assistance and Resources Team) program, Outsiders Inn and St. Paul Lutheran Church.

The ceremony will also be livestreamed for people unable to attend in person. To view the livestream Dec. 21, visit https://bit.ly/49GkE0x.

The ceremony will include honoring each person who died by reading their names. There will be speakers and an opportunity for fellowship. Names will also be displayed on a poster, where people can write messages or add names of people they know who were impacted by homelessness and died in 2024. Approximately 53 names are on the list this year, said Charlene Welch, chief advancement officer for Council for the Homeless.

The most impactful way to honor the lives of people who died this year is to work for the day when everyone in Clark County has a safe and stable place to call home. The event will include a call to action for the public, elected officials, faith communities, businesses, social service agencies, philanthropists and all sectors of our community to make collective progress toward ending homelessness.

Iden Campbell, continuum of care manager at CFTH, emphasized the significance of HPMD. “It’s extremely important to honor people whose lives were lost and create change in their memory. Being a caring community is not a small thing. Join me in being a force for kindness and compassion with people in our community.”

Information provided by the Council for the Homeless.