MIDDLETOWN - Approximately 250 people filled the pews at The Church of the Holy Trinity on Main Street Thursday, Dec. 18, at 40 p.m. to pay their respects to the homeless persons who have died in Middlesex County during 2014.

       Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul Middletown Ron Krom read the names of 28 homeless persons who were no longer with us. State Rep. Matt Lesser and Middletown Deputy Mayor Robert Santangelo lit 28 candles for those who had died. At the invitation of Lydia Brewster of St. Vincent’s, about 50 people lined up to light candles for others they had known and who had died.

       Krom asked the audience to say the Spanish work â€�"presente,” meaning â€�"present,” as each of the 28 names were called and a candle was lit for that person.

       The service, one of more than 150 National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day that take place across the country on a day closest to Dec. 21--the longest night of the year--as a memorial day serving to raise awareness of the tragic impact of homelessness on individuals, families, and communities and to remember those who have died as a result of being homeless.

       The service was jointly sponsored by Community Health Center’s Healthcare for the Homeless Program and Saint Vincent de Paul Middletown, which operates a soup kitchen and shelter. Kasey Harding-Wheeler welcomed people to the service; the Opening and Closing Prayers were offered by Church of the Holy Community Pastor Dana Campbell and the opening song, â€�"Halleluia,” was sung by Amber Whitmire.

       Just before the candlelight vigil, Whitmire sang Amazing Grace; Sue Murphy led the closing song, â€�"Silent Night”.

       Robert Santegelo presented remarks about homelessness: â€�"Homelessness is not a disease, it is a condition. You can’t take a vaccine or take an antibiotic to make it go away. We have to treat it like a condition. We are fortunate in Middletown because the spiritual, business, city, nonprofit and profit agencies come together to work at addressing this condition.”

       Sister Patricia McKeon, former director of the soup kitchen and now executive director of Mercy Housing and Shelter Corportation, gave the â€�"keynote” speech.

       â€�"I find it hard to believe that we are gathered at a memorial service in 2014. Here in Middletown when we founded St. Vincent DePaul Place 34 years ago, we had no concept of homelessness,” she said. â€�"The first time I recognized homelessness is when I opened the door to let someone in to use the restroom. One day as as he walked by, I saw ice hanging in his hair. Once I realized that this person had been living outside, I came to see that there were other people also living outside.

       â€�"At that time, we had no shelters or warming center. We couldn’t imagine what was ahead of us in terms of how many people would become homeless across the country with shelters in most cities...But what we in Middletown knew that we had to address the problem.”

       The response was immediate and incredible, according to Sister McKeon.

       â€�"St. Vincent DePaul opened the dining room for a shelter. The Red Cross, the Salvation Army, YMCA, the Health Center, churches and others provided shelters and warming centers. Shepherd Home, built to house 15 people, sheltered 50 people on many nights.

       â€�"Soon a shelter was opened at St. Vincent’s. The Salvation Army found a building at CVH one winter, now named the Eddy Shelter. Shepherd Home became a transitional shelter until it closed for lack of funds. This year the Eddy Shelter is scheduled to get 48 new beds to relieve the demand from the closing of Shepherd Home,” she said.

       Despite the efforts, homelessness remains a major problem.

       â€�"So, here we are 34 years later with homelessness still a social injustice across the country. It’s wrong. Homelessness is a condition of being unhoused. Housing can fix homelessness. It doesn’t have to exist; it never existed before the late 70’s and early 80’s.

       â€�"We are very fortunate in Middletown. The Coalition to End Homelessness and the community have come together. You have a mayor who does understands the issues and has real concern for homeless people. He was concerned about the people who had been in Shepherd and asked, ‘How are we going to take care of them?’” said Sister McKeon.

       â€�"Provider agencies work together every day to get more funding and help.What I know for sure is that charity, as important as it is, cannot end homelessness--it can’t,” said McKeon. â€�"It is a justice issue and only justice will end homelessness. Every state and the federal government have to recognize the fact that . . .every citizen should have the right to be able to access housing, even if subsidies are needed. It has become a priority for the federal government and our states to provides housing for everyone in our country.

       â€�"So, let’s hope that very soon we will not be holding a memorial service for homeless people who have died. We will then have a memorial for homelessness because then it will have ended.”

       Ebony Lockhart, 44, spoke about her homelessness for 22 years.

       â€�"I grew up in Long River Village.I am currently enrolled to complete my degree and I am a member of a Baptist Church. I am putting my experience to use to help others do better. I had problems that led me to self-medication, addiction, incarceration, loss of custody of my children and eventually homelessness.”

       Lockhart slept on park benches and in abandoned cars.

       A little over a year ago, things started coming together for her. However, â€�"homelessness breathes down my neck every day,” she said. â€�"Homeless is living on a knife-edge.” Then, she asked the audience to stand up, say their names if they have ever been homeless and to make a goal to help each other. Many people in the audience gave their names.

       The audience was invited to attend a supper of cornbread and chili at St. Vincent de Paul.

       Homelessness in Connecticut

       In 2013 Connecticut Homeless Shelters served over 13,663 people including 1,343 families and 2,427 children. Since 2009 there has been an 8 percent increase in the number of families living in shelters. Veterans make up 8 percent of all of Connecticut’s homeless population; there were 17 percent fewer homeless veterans in 2014 than there were in 2013.

       Homelessness in the United States

       â€�"According to the 2014 Point-in-Time (PIT) survey from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, â€�"more than 578,000 people were homeless in the United States on a given night. Almost 70 percent were living in emergency shelters or in transitional housing programs, while 31 percent were living unsheltered. Nearly one-fourth (23 percent) were children younger than 18 years of age. One out of 12 people experiencing homelessness were veterans.

       â€�"The good news is that homelessness has declined by 2 percent since 2013 and 11 percent since 2007. This decline is largely the result of the collective and concerted work of volunteers, advocates, organizations and government agencies. These efforts need ongoing support.

       â€�"Still, homelessness continues to have a severe impact on people’s lives. Compared to the general population, people who are homeless are at greater risk of infectious and chronic illness, poor mental health, and substance abuse. They are more often victims of violence. They have a mortality rate four to nine times higher than those who are not homeless.”