Longest Night of the Year

Taken from the National Coalition for the Homeless website:

Each year since 1990, on or near the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has sponsored National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless friends who have paid the ultimate price for our nation's failure to end homelessness. This year, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) has joined us in co-sponsoring this event.

In an effort to maximize the impact of the day, NCH and the NHCHC have encouraged local and statewide organizations to hold memorials of their own. Last year, over 100 cities across the nation, from Detroit to Seattle to Washington, DC, sponsored events to honor those who had died and to recommit to the task of ending homelessness.

This Year, once again, NCH is encouraging groups to plan a special event on or around December 21, 2008. Some groups may decide to hold their event a day or so before the date.

Locally, a public memorial service will take place on Sunday, December 21 at 5:00pm at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Amphitheatre, to remember those men and women who died in 2008 without a regular place to stay. Memorial Day events are organized locally by SHARP, a coalition of individuals and organizations working to “Stop Homelessness And Reduce Poverty.” For more information, please contact Adam Schneider at (410)837-5533 x1398 or aschneider@hchmd.org.

There is more that you can do. Check this list of agencies addressing poverty issues, visit their websites, learn about their volunteer and donation needs. The number of those living in poverty is rising daily, and local agencies need your support now more than ever. Thanks in advance for doing what you can to make a difference in the lives of those affected by poverty this winter and all year-long.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season,
The Staff of the Volunteer Center Serving Howard County



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