CHAS Health honored individuals who died while living without a home during two memorial events, in Spokane, Washington, and Lewiston, Idaho. This annual tradition brings together local community partners and advocates to honor the dignity and humanity of those experiencing homelessness, while working together to close the gap and move closer to ending homelessness.
The events included speakers committed to ending homelessness as well as a tribute to the 220 people who we know died this year while experiencing homelessness in our service area.
Additionally, a visual representation of those deceased members of our unhoused community was created with individual names placed on the fence outside CHAS Health’s Denny Murphy Clinic in downtown Spokane.
On any given night, there are more than 771,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in the United States. Communities across the nation held similar memorial events on or near the Winter Solstice—the first day of winter and the longest night of the year—to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness, and to remember those who have died while living without a home.
