Sonoma County health officials will be hosting a memorial this week for those who died last year without a roof over their heads.
In observance of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, officials from the Sonoma County Department of Health Services and housing service provider HomeFirst will hold the memorial service from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Arlene Francis Center at 99 Sixth St. in Santa Rosa.
County officials said HomeFirst’s vice president of emergency housing Beatriz Ramos will speak during the event. The company will have outreach teams present to enroll interested individuals into Coordinated Entry, the county’s system used to match unhoused individuals with housing providers.
A list of volunteer opportunities will also be available for those who wish to support the unhoused community, county officials said.
“This memorial is important for homeless service providers and those that have influence over homelessness response,” Hunter Scott, HomeFirst’s director of Coordinated Entry, said in a statement. “It reminds us — name by name — who we’ve lost and allows us to reflect on what further services are needed.”
The national day of remembrance of Dec. 21 coincides with the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year.
Those interested in attending, including unhoused community members, can RSVP online.