The community is invited to attend vigils to honor and remember our community members, who passed away this year while experiencing homelessness. Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is a poignant event aimed at raising awareness about homelessness and inspiring collective action to address its root causes.
The vigils will take place on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at the following times and locations:
- 8am Redmond Vigil (hosted by Bethlehem Inn)
Location: Bethlehem Inn in Redmond at 517 NW Birch Ave. - 5pm Bend Vigil (hosted by Homeless Leadership Coalition)
Location: Drake Park adjacent to the bandstand
These gatherings provide an opportunity for the community to reflect on the lives of those lost while homeless, acknowledge the challenges they faced, and recommit to supporting individuals and families in need.
This year marks the 34th anniversary of the National Coalition for the Homeless “Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day” which began in partnership of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council with three objectives: 1) to shine a bright light on the dark truth that homelessness kills; 2) to ensure that those who died are not forgotten; and 3) to mobilize action to end what is often a death sentence — homelessness.
In Central Oregon, the Homeless Leadership Coalition members work in Jefferson, Deschutes, and Crook Counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to prevent and end homelessness by improving regional and cross-system collaboration and coordination so that our communities will have a comprehensive response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible, or if it can’t be prevented, it is a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience.
This memorial is more than a moment of remembrance; it is a call to action. Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day brings together individuals with lived experience, service providers, advocates, and policymakers to emphasize the urgent need for services, resources, and systemic change.
For more information or to get involved, please contact local service providers or organizations advocating for the homeless in our area.
