2019 Homeless Vigil

Dec 4, 2019 | Events

Lewiston-Auburn Candlelight Vigil | Friday, December 20, 2019 | 4:30-5:30 PM

New Beginnings, Inc., the Lewiston-Auburn Alliance of Services to the Homeless, and the L-A Multi-faith Group offer our sincerest thanks to the community members who held vigil, paused to witness our message, and otherwise honored those who died while homeless during the previous year and raised awareness about homelessness.

To see coverage of the vigil, please explore the following links: Sun Journal. WMTW Channel 8.

New Beginnings, Inc., the Lewiston-Auburn Alliance of Services to the Homeless, and the L-A Multi-faith Group invite community members to join us in our annual homeless memorial candlelight vigil. The walking vigil will begin at Trinity Church in Lewiston and then participants will make their way to Calvary United Methodist Church.

Please meet at 4:30 p.m. at Trinity Church (corner of Spruce Street and Bates Street at the corner of Kennedy Park) in downtown Lewiston. Vigil participants are invited to bring non-perishable and canned food to donate to Trinity Jubilee Center.

After a few words of welcome, reading of names, and lighting of candles, we will walk several blocks down Bates Street to Main Street. The procession will turn right on Main Street and continue up Sabattus Street and stop in front of Calvary United Methodist Church (in the triangle between Sabattus, College and Bartlett streets) where we will stand Vigil outdoors in front of the Church.

This Lewiston-Auburn Vigil is part of a national movement of cities marking National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on or near the winter solstice, the first day of winter and the longest night of the year to honor people who died while homeless during the previous year and to raise awareness about homelessness.

You are welcome to join the vigil at any point, and groups from businesses and service providers near the route are especially encouraged to join as the vigil passes.

If you are able, please bring signs to hold as the vigil remains in front of Calvary to raise awareness of homelessness to passersby during the evening commute.

Hot soup will be available indoors at Calvary. New Beginnings will provide van service back to Trinity Church or the Park Street garage as needed.

Service providers and individuals are encouraged to bring the names of people who have died while homeless in the past year to read at the beginning of the Vigil. To submit names if you cannot attend, please post here or contact Chris Bicknell at chris@newbeginmaine.org or 207-795-4077.

Please dress warmly as this event will last from 4:30PM-5:30PM regardless of weather.