OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — One homeless shelter and the community came together Friday night, to remember more than 80 people who died who were part of the homeless community around Omaha. Sadly, without this tribute, those that passed away may have been forgotten.
"We have volunteers that come so each of those people will wear the name of the person who passed away and hold a candle for that person, and each person's name will be read out loud so we try to make it as personal as possible," said Tim Sully, Development Director at the Siena Francis House.
84 members of the homeless community who received services in Omaha and Council Bluffs passed away, so far, in 2019. Each of their names were read out loud to remember them during the service. "Every person who passed away obviously is an important human being, and a lot of the folks who did happen to pass away likely did not necessarily have a memorial service. So this is a time where we can individually memorialize each person," said Sully.
For some of the volunteers, this event meant more. "Some of the volunteers that are here were friends with some of the folks who died and so there's always tears, and it's the first time that maybe they have had time or had a moment to grieve for that person," said Sully.
If you would like more information on the Siena Francis House, visit sienafrancis.org
