One of our most beautiful services is the Homeless Memorial Service, held every year on the second Tuesday of December. This year’s service will be on Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00 p.m. in the Church. The names of those who have passed will be read and remembered, candles lit for each person honored, and Eucharist offered to all who desire.

First held in 2011, All Saints’ Homeless Memorial was born from an idea that a parishioner Michael Menchaca gave to Juliana Serrano – to honor and acknowledge the lives of those lost on our community’s streets, and to give them the dignity and respect they deserve during the coldest and darkest time of the year. The 9th annual service is brought to us by a planning committee that includes: Gloria Antall, John and Rosemary Hyde, Gerry Puhara and Rich Redman working closely with the All Saints Director of Liturgy, Melissa Hayes.

All are welcome to attend. Participating in the service are our siblings experiencing homelessness, members of Pasadena’s homeless-services community, and local religious leaders. This year, representatives of Union Station Homeless Services, Friends in Deed, Housing Works, and Rose City Church will participate in the liturgy. Anne Miskey, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services will be offering the homily and Rev. Sally Howard will preside. The Trouvères youth choir, Dan Cole and the 1 P.M. Ensemble will offer music.

A reception immediately follows the service in Sweetland Hall that is festive and joyous. Led by Gerry Puhara, more than 50 volunteers, including many from The Women’s Community, purchase, cook and serve dinner to more than 250 guests.

If you cannot be at the service, you can stream it live here at 6 p.m.: https://allsaints-pas.org/live-stream/.

Pasadena Partnership’s 2019 Homeless Count, which provides a snapshot in time to quantify the size of the population experiencing homelessness at a given point during the year, identified 542 person experiencing homelessness in Pasadena. While the data reveals a decline in the number of persons experiencing homelessness (20% decrease from 2018), more needs to be done to address this social injustice. The count is critical to much needed funding for solutions by the city and service agencies.

Volunteers are needed for the 2020 count. Volunteers should be 18+ and are asked to attend an orientation to prepare for the Count on either January 13 or 14, 2020. The volunteer registration deadline is January 7, 2020. Volunteers are assigned to a team to help count and administer an electronic survey to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. To register or for more information please contact:
https://pasadenapartnership.org/volunteer-homeless-count/ or info@pasadenapartnership.org
We invite you to join us for the memorial service on the 10th, and afterwards to break bread and get to know some of your neighbors experiencing homelessness. Learn a new name or two and give the gift of recognition, conversation and friendship. Then, consider volunteering for the 2020 Homeless Count.

For more information and/or to provide the name of someone you know who has lost their life on the streets contact Juliana Serrano at jserrano@allsaints-pas.org or 626.583.2731.

(Photo: Andy Kennelly)