The annual event, set for Dec. 21, offers an opportunity to remember our friends and neighbors who passed in 2023

A Homeless Persons Memorial Day ceremony will be held Thursday (Dec. 21), at 5:45 p.m. on the front steps of St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver. 

Refreshments will follow inside the church. 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 2023. Approximately 43 names are on the list this year.

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.

“People without homes – especially those who live on the streets – are often invisible,” shared Adam Kravitz of Outsiders Inn. “When they die, they can be easily forgotten. We want people to know their life mattered, and we want people who care about them to be supported.” 

“Housing is a human need. Homelessness can impact a person for a lifetime, even after they have a home,” shares Laura Ellsworth of Council for the Homeless. “This night is an opportunity to reflect on our neighbors without homes and people who served them, all who died in 2023, and honor their memory. These people were siblings, parents, and children. They were artists, musicians, construction workers, teachers, sports fans, and more. Most importantly, they were members of our community. ”