The West Park Times

SUBMITTED

Monday, December 21st, is the longest day of the year and the first day of winter. On this day, homeless advocates, people currently experiencing homelessness, homeless services providers, and others in our community will gather virtually to remember those who died in the homeless community in 2020.

“Winter is a dangerous and difficult time for people who are unhoused in our community, especially during a pandemic when so many daytime locations are closed” says Christopher Knestrick, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. “We are focusing on keeping people sheltered and alive this winter, and we are relieved to have additional options to shelter people this season thanks to hotels and alternative shelter space during COVID-19.”

Ohio legislators designated December 21st as Ohio Homeless Memorial Day in 2009. For over 30 years, The Northeast Ohio Coalition For The Homeless has brought the Cleveland community together to remember people experiencing homelessness who have passed away.

The Homeless Memorial will take place at noon on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, on Zoom (register here) and Facebook Live (@clehomeless). We will remember our friends and family with prayers and by reading each name. Remarks will be made from Community West Foundation, the Director of the Office of Homeless Services, and Senator Sherrod Brown’s office to honor those who have passed in 2020.

NEOCH asks all to attend this important event for our community virtually. The reading of names will take place outside in the near west side to provide in-person access to our unsheltered friends in the area.

SUBMITTED

Six Cleveland photographers will donate their time for free, providing on-site photoshoots to anyone who brings a new sock donation or cash donation at “The Sock Exchange” event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29.

All proceeds will benefit The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH). The event will take place at Fairhill Partners, a local community nonprofit located at 12200 Fairhill Rd.

The purpose of The Sock Exchange is to raise support for The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. Each year, NEOCH’s street outreach teams provide thousands of needed humanitarian items to people experiencing unsheltered homelesseness in the Cleveland area. Sock and cash donations collected at The Sock Exchange event will support NEOCH’s outreach collaborative work.

Depending on the size of the donation, community members will receive anywhere from a 5 minute to a 20 minute photoshoot, as well as an offsite hour-long photoshoot for anyone donating $50. The six photographers who will be participating include Ernest Hatten, Jef Janis, Shemiah Woods, Julian Harris, Bridget Caswell, and Celena E.H.

The mission of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless is to organize and empower homeless and at-risk men, women and children to break the cycle of poverty through public education, advocacy and the creation of nurturing environments.