Wednesday night marked the annual Tedford Housing Remembrance Service, a night to remember the homeless, and about 40 people gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick to mark the occasion.
“It’s important to remember our neighbors, especially those who have died, who have this in their experience,” said John Carson, president of the board of directors of Tedford Housing.
The service came on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.
“(We) give thanks for those who have been helped,” Carson said, adding that it was time to rededicate themselves to outreach services.
Readings and attendees’ time to reflect continued throughout the service. Jennifer Iacovelli, Tedford director of development, read from writings by the Rev. Penny Hackett Evans.
“We bring the truth of our own life, our own story,” Iacovelli read, “we bring our truth with us. May we hear and honor the truths that we all bring together.”
Tedford Housing Executive Director Craig Phillips revealed how many individuals and families sought housing this year in Brunswick.
“No one really should be homeless and no one should be homeless and die,” he said.
To date, 85 families called on Tedford for whom we were not able to provide shelter, Phillips said.
About 1,100 people in Maine are homeless, said Phillips.
More readings centered on building hope, courage and resilience in the face of challenges.
Rev. Sylvia Stocker, pastor of the Unitarian Universalist church, called for a moment of silence.
A candlelit procession outdoors next to the Curtis Memorial Library concluded the ceremony.
Stocker said after the service that the attendees’ service proved meaningful to her.
“People really singing out, it sounded like a real community to me,” she said.
The night’s attendees included George Hardy. Hardy is one of the founders of the Gathering Place, a day shelter for the homeless and poor that opened in 2010.
More work to reduce homelessness in Brunswick and nearby communities continues.
Later, Phillips said finding affordable housing remains a problem in the Brunswick region.
“Clearly that’s a need,” he said. “A person may have a rental voucher but no place to use it.”
To learn more about Tedford Housing, including its history, go to tedfordhousing.org. To request services, call (207) 729-1161.
The Gathering Place is now at 5 Tenney Way, near the Mid Coast Maine Hunger Prevention building. Visit brunswickgatheringplace.org for more information.
lconnell@timesrecord.com
Remember …
THE NAMES of local men and women who experienced homelessness in their life and died this year include: Clara; Daniel, David Corbet; John Kapps; Suzanne McNeil; Paul Steadman; Amy Tripp; and Beverly Vanburen.
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