PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Homeless Day of Remembrance events were held in Portland and other communities across the metro region to mourn the lives of people who struggled with homelessness.
The St. Andre Bessette Catholic Church hosted the Portland event, gathering community members and local homeless advocacy organizations on Sunday evening. Other remembrances were held throughout the region, including in Clackamas County and Southwest Washington.
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Held on the longest night of the year, the event served as an opportunity for people to celebrate the memory of friends and family members who passed away this year while experiencing homelessness or having recently overcome it.
Names of those who were lost were read aloud and added to a memorial banner made of repurposed tent material. Meanwhile, service providers offered resources.
One new mother at the memorial said her child’s father died two months before their daughter was born while they were both experiencing homelessness…