Some names are never spoken out loud. Some stories end quietly, in the cold or in a shelter bed, with no family to hold vigil. In Wake County, dozens of people died this year while experiencing homelessness or after having lived through it. Their absence leaves a mark on our community whether we see it or not.
Wake County invites residents to join in honoring our community members at the annual Homeless Memorial on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 7:15 p.m. at the South Wilmington Street Center, 1420 S. Wilmington St. in Raleigh.
“Many of the people we’re honoring faced challenges that would test anyone. They were not anonymous or forgotten, they were family members, friends and neighbors,” said Tara Waters with the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “We invite the public to join us, hear their names and stand with us in recognizing their dignity.”
This moment of remembrance also illustrates why Wake County’s work to end homelessness is so urgent. In 2024, the county became the lead agency for the Wake County Continuum of Care, the network responsible for coordinating the community’s response to homelessness. The goal is simple but vital: make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
A central part of that work is Coordinated Entry, the process that helps connect people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to available shelter beds, housing programs and supportive services. Providers across the county use common assessments and shared data to determine the most appropriate referrals based on each person’s needs.
By gathering to speak these names out loud, we honor lives lost, recommit to building a system where fewer people slip through the cracks and more find the safety and stability they deserve. The public can also watch the Homeless Memorial live on Wake County’s Facebook page.
