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In response to organizations around the nation eager to learn about its model, the Eugene-based crisis response team launches a new collaborative course.
The Jan. 8 candlelight vigil was the second time the advocacy group Stop Death on the Streets held the event. The group mourned the lives of 30 people who died while experiencing homelessness in 2020. Credit Melorie Begay/KLCC The advocacy group, Stop Death on the Streets held their 2nd annual vigil in Eugene on Friday Jan. 8. About 100 people came to mourn the lives of homeless people who died in the past year. Activist Chelsea Swift said in a speech during the vigil that the community hasn’t collectively grieved for people who’ve died in 2020, including those who’ve died from COVID-19.
But so much has changed. "It really does feel different," said Chelsea Swift, an organizer of the event and a CAHOOTS crisis worker. "The pandemic and especially the fires in the fall really activated a lot of people." The gathering of about 100 people joined in song and in mourning at 6 p.m. one street north of the Washington Jefferson skatepark with much of the same intentions of last year — to bring attention to the health risks associated with living unsheltered and give space to those service providers and activists who have had to stomach one tragedy after the next. The event was hosted at the site where the city of Eugene removed a large encampment last month, despite guidance from the CDC recommending people stay in one spot when there is no available shelter.