On what will be the longest night of the year, those facing homelessness in our community take on the worst of the darkness.
And on Friday, those who work with the population honored 23 homeless people who died in 2024.
Dozens of people came together in Perry Square to remember and pray for those who have died facing homelessness.
The message? To recognize those who often go unrecognized and unseen.
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Dec. 21 marks the winter solstice. It’s the day with the shortest amount of light and the longest amount of darkness.
But it’s also a time to remember those who confront that darkness head-on — those in our community facing homelessness.
“It is the day that we take intentional time to honor those people that don’t have anyone else to recognize them,” said Katie Peppers, Erie City Mission’s volunteer and special events coordinator
The names of 23 people who died while facing homelessness in Erie were read on Friday. Their ages range from as old as 66 to as young as a stillborn baby.