The annual event, set for Dec. 21, offers an opportunity to remember our neighbors who passed in 2022

Members of the faith community, homeless service providers, advocates, people experiencing  homelessness and community members will gather together on the longest night of the year to remember, show support for and honor those who have died while or after experiencing homelessness, and those who have served people who are experiencing homelessness, in 2022. The event – Homeless Persons Memorial Day – is open to the public and is hosted by Council for the Homeless, Outsiders Inn and St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Homeless Persons Memorial Day will be held Wednesday (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 2022. Approximately 35 names are on the list this year.

“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 impacts a person for a lifetime,” 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 2022, 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.”

Additional event planning partners are Immanuel Lutheran Church, Dave Slocum, Judy Enders, Jamie Spinelli and St. Andrew Lutheran Church. 

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