Wed 12/21 @ 3PM
Think about how lucky you are to be in a warm, cozy house or apartment you’ve decorated for the holidays, redolent with the scent of pine. You probably have food in the kitchen and most of us have friends to share it with, as the days get cold and dreary and the snow starts to fly.
Spare a thought for those who have none of that: the homeless, or the “unhoused,” as some now prefer to call them. Whatever term you use, these people often have no place to go when the weather turns bad except under a bridge abutment or in bushes in a wooded area — many have reasons for not going to the shelters, including untreated mental illness. It’s a rough life and not surprising, many die, often without family or friends to remember them.
That’s why the Northeast Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) holds its annual Candlelight Vigil and Memorial for the Homeless, taking place this year at St. Paul’s Community Church at 4427 Franklin. All are welcome to come and there will be refreshments to remind you how fortunate you are. If you have a name you’d like to add to the memorial list, email ange@neoch.org/. You might also spare a small donation to NEOCH, which works all year long to address the problems that cause homelessness.