​Annual Memorial Service Honors Wake County’s Homeless Who Died In 2020

Press release from the Wake County Government:

by Stephen R. Walston on 12/18/2020 1:30 PM
Category: WakeGOV Home Page

On Dec. 21, the first day of winter and the longest night
of the year, the public is invited to honor the memory of those who died in
2020 while homeless. The candlelight vigil and name-reading ceremony is held
annually, but this year, due to COVID-19, the memorial will take place online,
and attendees are encouraged to pay tribute virtually.

Holding the event on the winter solstice is meant to
highlight the rough winter conditions vulnerable residents experience. This
year, 15 people will be remembered.

"We hold the 15 lives lost this
year in our hearts," said Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Vickie Adamson.
“They were brothers, fathers, sons and friends. With this memorial service, we
acknowledge the value and meaning of their lives while also drawing attention
to the need for greater access to housing and services, so this list of names
will be shorter in the years to come.”

The 2020 memorial video can be found here,
and residents are encouraged to come together virtually at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21 to
watch it.

Compared to the general population, those who experience
homelessness are more likely to suffer from chronic disease, mental illness,
substance abuse and violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are more than 700 people currently in homeless
shelters across Wake County, the majority of whom are African American.

The memorial event has been hosted at the South Wilmington
Street Center since 2004 and coincides with National Homeless Persons’ Memorial
Day, which is observed on the same day.

Wake County residents
who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless are encouraged to reach out to
the House Wake! Access Hub.
This hub is the centralized intake and referral portal
for Wake County residents and can connect those in need to agencies providing
services such as emergency shelter, homelessness prevention and rapid
re-housing.

This press release was produced by the Wake County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.