LEWISTON – The Lewiston/Auburn Alliance for Services for the Homeless and the L&A Veterans Council Inc. will hold a public vigil Dec. 22 at Veterans Memorial Park to remember the homeless.

The candlelight ceremony will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The vigil is part of the nationwide observance of National Homeless Memorial Day, held annually on the winter solstice by homeless advocates around the nation.

L&A Veterans Council Chairman Paul Bernard encouraged all member organizations to attend the event, because of the large number of homeless veterans. A national survey estimated that veterans account for 23 percent of all homeless people in America; the Veterans Administration estimates nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year.

“If ever we should stand with someone on an issue it is now,” Bernard said.

LAASH is a group of service providers, volunteers and city representatives addressing homelessness in the community. It is in the final stages of drafting a 10-year plan to end homelessness in the Lewiston-Auburn area. It is also involved in supporting a rental deposit program and a winter emergency plan, which will utilize Maine Housing Authority funds to assist the homeless with housing when shelters are full.

“We urge the public to remember your neighbors who are without housing by finding a way to assist them, be it through contributions to area homeless and domestic violence shelters, the Jubilee Center, food pantries or in a more personal way,” said Barbara Rankins, LAASH chairwoman.

People are encouraged to bring canned goods to the vigil, which will go to New Beginnings and the Trinity Jubilee Center food distribution efforts.

LAASH meets the first Wednesday of the month. For more information contact Bob Rowe at 795-4077 or Rankins at 513-6292.