Homeless Persons Remembrance Day
Monday, December 22, 2025 at 5 PM
First Baptist Church of Hyannis, 486 Main St, Hyannis
All are invited to the Fellowship Dinner which will follow the service.
Each year we gather to celebrate the lives of people in our community who have experienced the trauma of homelessness in their lives and who have died that year. The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council view Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day as an occasion to “remember those who have died and strengthen our resolve to work for a world where no life is lived or lost in homelessness…as we work to end and prevent homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights are respected and protected.” (nhchc.org). The event is traditionally held across the country close to the longest night of the year to highlight the cold, harsh conditions faced by unsheltered people during the winter months.
This year, our local Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service will take place on Monday, December 22nd at 5:00p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 486 Main Street Hyannis. Food and fellowship will follow the service.
Co-sponsors of this memorial service include Barnstable Police Department, Cape Cod Council of Churches, Cape Cod Synagogue, Champ Homes, Community of Jesus, Duffy Health Center, First Baptist Church of Hyannis, Housing Assistance Corp (HAC), St. John Paul II High School, St. Joseph’s Shelter, and Vinfen.
According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association), “homelessness” describes the state of anyone who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence such as those living outdoors, in shelters, transitional housing or places not meant for habitation such as a vehicle. Those at risk of homelessness include anyone who may lose their primary residence with no source of future housing, unaccompanied youth under 25, and those fleeing domestic violence with no secure housing options. Any experience of living in the trauma of homelessness can exacerbate health conditions and can lead to a reduced lifespan.
Despite the stigma and stereotyping of homelessness, please know that no one chooses or should have to live unsheltered. No one chooses to try to keep warm in 30-degree weather while burrowing in blankets in a tent in the woods. These folks who are “living rough” are someone’s sibling, someone’s spouse, someone’s uncle, someone’s child. These folks who are hunkering down in tents during this coldest season were once our fellow classmates in school, rode the bus with us, went to church school or Boy Scouts or Brownies with us. These are our neighbors.
This year we are asking for donations both at the memorial or any time to offer our unsheltered neighbors respite from the brutal cold. Please make checks out to the Cape Cod Council of Churches, with Homeless Ministries written in the memo line. The Council’s mailing address is 232 Main St, Hyannis MA 02601. Alternatively, donations can be accepted via PayPal on the Council’s website. Please indicate the gift is for Homeless Ministries. Thank you.
During this coldest season of the year, please hold our community in your hearts and join us on the 22nd to memorialize those lost in 2025.
Organized by the Barnstable Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, Cape Cod Council of Churches, Cape Cod Synagogue, Champ Homes, Community of Jesus, Duffy Health Center, First Baptist Church of Hyannis, Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC), St. Joseph’s Shelter, Students of St. John Paul II High School, and Vinfen
Contact info@capecodcouncilofchurches.org for more information.
