Homeless Persons Remembrance Day
The following press release was distributed by the Cape Cod Council of Churches, on behalf of the coalition of local agencies serving those who experience homelessness.
At 5:00 PM on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at the First Baptist Church of Hyannis located at 486 Main Street in Hyannis, all are invited to honor the memory of the men and women who died in 2024 having experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. The Homeless Persons Memorial Service is an opportunity to remember these local individuals who have been a part of our Cape community. So far this year, 36 individuals known to have experienced homelessness in our area have died.
The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council view Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day as an occasion to “remember those who have died and strengthen our resolve to work for a world where no life is lived or lost in homelessness…as we work to end and prevent homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights are respected and protected.” (nhchc.org). The event is traditionally held across the country close to the longest night of the year to highlight the cold, harsh conditions faced by unsheltered people during the winter months.
Homelessness is not only defined by those who are unsheltered, although we have a great number of people who live unhoused in our community. According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association), “homelessness” describes the state of anyone who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence such as those living in shelters, transitional housing or places not meant for habitation such as a vehicle. Those at risk of homelessness include anyone who may lose their primary residence with no source of future housing, unaccompanied youth under 25, and those fleeing domestic violence with no secure housing options. We know that any experience of homelessness in one’s lifetime greatly reduces the lifespan, and we have found that many of the people we name at our memorials have passed away in early middle age.
No one chooses to live unsheltered. No one chooses to try to keep warm in 30-degree weather while burrowing in blankets in a tent in the woods.
There is much stigma and stereotyping associated with homelessness. All too often there is an assumption that folks who are living homeless are mentally ill, or using substances, or could “just get a job”. No one chooses to live unsheltered. No one chooses to try to keep warm in 30-degree weather while burrowing in blankets in a tent in the woods. The health of many in our unsheltered community has been compromised and those conditions are exacerbated by homelessness.
Please join us in person to celebrate the lives of these neighbors who were children, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. Fellowship dinner to follow the service.
Co-sponsors of this memorial service include the Barnstable Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, Cape Cod Council of Churches, Champ Homes, Duffy Health Center, First Baptist Church of Hyannis, Housing Assistance Corp (HAC), St. John Paul II High School, Vinfen, Youth Group of the Community of Jesus, and the Youth StreetReach Program and Here Now Ministries of the Council of Churches. This is truly a community effort, and all are welcome to participate.
Contact: Edye Nesmith, Executive Director, Cape Cod Council of Churches, (508) 775-5073 | edye.nesmith@capecodcouncilofchurches.org
