Vancouver – The nonprofits Friends of the Carpenter and Outsiders Inn will hold a memorial for the homeless on the steps of St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1309 Franklin St. The memorial is 5:45 to 7 p.m. Thursday — the first day of winter and the longest night of the year.
Memorials are happening around the country that night to “commemorate the lives of the mothers, fathers, sons or daughters who died on the streets or in emergency shelters from illness or conditions directly related to their homelessness,” Friends of the Carpenter said in a news release.
The program at St. Paul includes remarks from the faith community and Vancouver City Councilor Ty Stober. At least a dozen people with local connections who died while homeless this year will be remembered, the release said.
“This a solemn event, a remembrance of those who had little in material terms to call their own. This is our chance to honor them and give thanks for their time on earth,” executive director Tom Iberle said in the release. “We must continue to speak out about the struggles of those who experience homelessness and poverty. As a community, we must all work together to expand effective solutions and build a truly just society for all persons.”
