Coos​ ​County​ ​Locals​ ​Honor​ ​Homeless​ ​Persons’​ ​Who​ ​Have​ ​Died​ ​and​ ​Those​ ​Still​ ​Struggling​ ​to​ ​Survive.

COOS​ ​BAY​ ​/​ ​NORTH​ ​BEND,​ ​OR​ ​–​ ​Over​ ​a​ ​hundred​ ​community​ ​members​ ​will​ ​unite​ ​for​ ​our​ ​​ ​8th​ ​Annual  Homeless​ ​Persons’​ ​Memorial​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Coos​ ​History​ ​Museum​ ​on​ ​Thursday,​ ​December​ ​21​ ​at​ ​5​ ​pm.​ ​​ ​This​ ​event​ ​allows  our​ ​community​ ​to​ ​show​ ​respect​ ​to​ ​our​ ​neighbors​ ​who​ ​are​ ​living​ ​unsheltered.​ ​An​ ​outdoor​ ​candlelight​ ​memorial​ ​will  commemorate​ ​​ ​those​ ​homeless​ ​and​ ​formerly​ ​homeless​ ​in​ ​our​ ​community​ ​who​ ​have​ ​died​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​year.​ ​Inside,  guests​ ​will​ ​dine​ ​with​ ​dignity​ ​as​ ​they​ ​enjoy​ ​home-made​ ​soup,​ ​bread,​ ​butter,​ ​cookies​ ​and​ ​warm​ ​drinks.​ ​Tammy​ ​Berg,  T.H.E.​ ​House​ ​Executive​ ​Director,​ ​will​ ​prepare​ ​two​ ​soups​ ​with​ ​meat​ ​donated​ ​from​ ​McKay’s​ ​Market​ ​and​ ​fresh  vegetable​ ​from​ ​community​ ​members.      Speakers​ ​include​ ​Marcia​ ​Hart,​ ​Executive​ ​Director​ ​at​ ​United​ ​Way,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​local​ ​spiritual​ ​leaders​ ​and​ ​formerly  homeless​ ​persons​ ​in​ ​Coos​ ​County.​ ​Donated​ ​foods,​ ​used​ ​clothing​ ​&​ ​camping​ ​supplies​ ​and​ ​shower​ ​packs​ ​will​ ​be  given​ ​to​ ​those​ ​in​ ​need.​ ​C.E.R.T​ ​will​ ​perform​ ​free​ ​blood​ ​pressure​ ​tests​ ​and​ ​Yellow​ ​Cab​ ​Taxi​ ​will​ ​give​ ​rides​ ​to​ ​those  needing​ ​transportation​ ​to​ ​the​ ​event.​ ​FREE​ ​round-trip​ ​rides​ ​to​ ​the​ ​event​ ​from​ ​CCAT​ ​shelters​ ​&​ ​community​ ​spots:  Davy​ ​Jones​ ​Locker;​ ​Coos​ ​County​ ​Annex;​ ​Walmart;​ ​Nancy​ ​Devereux​ ​Center;​ ​Coos​ ​Bay​ ​Visitor​ ​Center,​ ​South​ ​side;  and​ ​the​ ​ARK​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Harding​ ​building.​ ​Departure​ ​times:​ ​4:30-4:45​ ​pm.​ ​Return​ ​rides​ ​begin​ ​at​ ​7:15​ ​pm​ ​from​ ​the  museum.​ ​A​ ​free​ ​event​ ​for​ ​the​ ​public.

WHO:​ ​Homeless​ ​&​ ​formerly​ ​homeless​ ​persons,​ ​advocates,​ ​service​ ​providers,​ ​religious​ ​leaders,​ ​concerned​ ​citizens,  city​ ​representatives…​ ​and​ ​you.

WHAT:​ ​Homeless​ ​Persons’​ ​Memorial​ ​Day,​ ​2017​ ​Memorial​ ​Event.​ ​Dine​ ​with​ ​dignity​ ​at​ ​a​ ​warm​ ​community​ ​meal,  followed​ ​by​ ​a​ ​candlelight​ ​ceremony​ ​and​ ​speakers.​ ​Free​ ​transportation,​ ​camping​ ​and​ ​showering​ ​items​ ​and​ ​blood  pressure​ ​tests​ ​will​ ​be​ ​available​ ​for​ ​attending​ ​neighbors​ ​in​ ​need.

WHERE:​ ​Coos​ ​History​ ​Museum,​ ​1210​ ​N.​ ​Front​ ​St.​ ​Coos​ ​Bay,​ ​OR​ ​97420

WHEN:​ ​Thursday,​ ​December​ ​21st,​ ​5​ ​to​ ​7​ ​p.m.

Homeless​ ​Persons’​ ​Memorial​ ​Day,​ ​is​ ​an​ ​annual​ ​event​ ​commemorated​ ​in​ ​over​ ​150​ ​cities​ ​and​ ​counties​ ​across​ ​the  United​ ​States.​ ​Since​ ​1990,​ ​the​ ​National​ ​Coalition​ ​for​ ​the​ ​homeless​ ​has​ ​sponsored​ ​National​ ​Homeless​ ​Persons’  Memorial​ ​Day​ ​on​ ​the​ ​longest​ ​night​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​attention​ ​to​ ​the​ ​tragedy​ ​of​ ​homelessness​ ​and​ ​to​ ​remember  our​ ​homeless​ ​citizens​ ​who​ ​have​ ​paid​ ​the​ ​ultimate​ ​price​ ​for​ ​the​ ​failure​ ​of​ ​our​ ​nation​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​adequate​ ​resources  and​ ​to​ ​fully​ ​address​ ​the​ ​safety​ ​and​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​people​ ​who​ ​are​ ​homeless.

Homeless​ ​Solutions​ ​Coos​ ​County​ ​and​ ​sponsors​ ​of​ ​this​ ​year’s​ ​event​ ​are​ ​calling​ ​attention​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​the  programs​ ​we​ ​have​ ​in​ ​place​ ​are​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​enough,​ ​and​ ​as​ ​a​ ​city​ ​it​ ​is​ ​our​ ​duty​ ​to​ ​stand​ ​together​ ​to​ ​help​ ​those​ ​in​ ​our  community​ ​who​ ​need​ ​us​ ​most.​

Sponsored​ ​by:​ ​Coos​ ​History​ ​Museum,​ ​So​ ​It​ ​Goes​ ​Coffee​ ​House,​ ​Yellow​ ​Cab​ ​Taxi,  Time​ ​Bomb,​ ​The​ ​Devereux​ ​Center,​ ​Farr’s​ ​True​ ​Value​ ​Hardware,​ ​McKay’s​ ​Market,​ ​T.H.E.​ ​House,​ ​Empire​ ​Bakery,  Community​ ​Emergency​ ​Response​ ​Team,​ ​Sea​ ​Kitty​ ​Seafoods,​ ​CCAT​ ​and​ ​United​ ​Way​ ​of​ ​Southwestern​ ​Oregon.

For​ ​more​ ​information​ ​and​ ​background​ ​information​ ​on​ ​National​ ​Homeless​ ​Persons’​ ​Memorial​ ​Day​ ​are​ ​available​ ​at  http://www.nhchc.org/memorialday.htm​​ ​and​ ​​www.projecthome.org

All events subject to change.