A candlelight vigil will be held Nov. 19 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the House of Charity to raise awareness of the effects of poverty and homelessness in the Spokane community.
The vigil will include supporters, staff, board members, volunteers, community members and clients of Catholic Charities, according to a press release. The vigil will include a short program, and a walk around the block followed by refreshments and the “Find your Voice” forum featuring Catholic Charities client testimonials
According to the release, the vigil is also designed to shine light on the work that Catholic Charities Spokane has been doing for 100 years to support the poor in Spokane. It will also mark the official beginning of the annual 2012 Catholic Charities Christmas Collection.
“We continue to see tremendous struggles for the poor. They struggle to find work, stability for their children, and simply a way to survive. Many social service agencies have lost large amounts of public funding and private donations have declined as well. The homeless population continues to grow and these individuals rely on the services provided at Catholic Charities,” Catholic Charities wrote in a release.
Each December, in a one-month period at Christmas time, Catholic Charities attempts to raise the bulk of the private donations it will need to support programs for the next year. The Christmas Collection funds the agency as it provides monies to support Catholic Charities’ 12 programs in the 13 counties of Eastern Washington. Catholic Charities served over 77,000 individuals last year.
