The annual Homeless Persons Memorial Day on Saturday in downtown Vancouver will honor those who died in the past year.
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Outsiders Inn, Council for the Homeless, and Vancouver’s Homeless Assistance and Resources Team are organizing the event. It always falls on the first day of winter and the longest night of the year. The ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. on the front steps of St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1309 Franklin St. A music and spoken word performance begins at 5 p.m. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the event inside the church.
The ceremony honors those who have died who are connected to the homeless population. Speakers will read their names aloud, and a bell will ring between each name, Pastor Linda Marousek said. After the memorial, the church’s bell will ring 53 times for the 53 people who died this year.
“This event is important to remember the fact that these folks exist and they have lives and people that care for them,” said Jamie Spinelli, the city’s homeless response manager.
IF YOU GO
What: Homeless Persons Memorial Day
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Music and a spoken word performance will begin at 5 p.m.
Where: St. Paul Lutheran Church’s front steps, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver
Info: The ceremony will be livestreamed for people unable to attend in person. To view the livestream, visit bit.ly/49GkE0x
Names will also be displayed on a poster, where attendees can write messages or add the names of others they know who were affected by homelessness and died in 2024.
This year saw a 10-person increase from 2023. Thirty-five people who died last year experienced unsheltered homelessness, four were in permanent housing, one was incarcerated and seven were in supportive housing, Spinelli said.
The event is held outside to remind people of the realities of living outside.
“We very intentionally chose to have the event outside,” Spinelli said. “Every year, we have a new person that comes along and says ‘Maybe we should do this inside the church. It’s cold outside.’ But, yes, that is the point. People who live outdoors have to live in these conditions, and we shouldn’t have the option of just going inside because it’s uncomfortable.”
The most meaningful way to honor these lives is by working toward the day when everyone in Clark County has a safe and stable home, organizers say.
“It’s not just a government problem. It’s not just one neighborhood’s problem. It’s all of us who have to come together,” Marousek said.
This event is an opportunity for the community to come together and make collective progress toward ending homelessness, Spinelli said.
“Homelessness existing is a choice — not a choice on the part of people who are experiencing homelessness but as a society. We all choose what exists here,” Spinelli said. “We choose what we prioritize to fund. We choose what is important to address. The same is true for losing people outside. As a society, we have not emphasized enough that people living without shelter is unacceptable.”
The ceremony will be livestreamed for people unable to attend in person. To view the livestream, visit https://bit.ly/49GkE0x.
“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,” said Iden Campbell, Council for the Homeless’ continuum of care manager.
