It was a cold, somber afternoon as the crowd raised their voices in remembrance of unhoused people who have suffered or died.
They sang “Let there Be Peace on Earth,” led by Edith Thompson of the Dayton VA.
Dozens of shoes lined Courthouse Square behind Edith as she sang, representing those who have passed.
There was a reading of names for each pair of shoes. One of the speakers was so overcome with emotion that Dayton mayor Jeffery Mims Jr., had to step in and comfort her.
“My prayers go out to all of those who are helping, all [of] those who are working in the space,” Mims said. “And I just ask that you do whatever you can in your own individual time as a group to ensure that we do the best we can to support these individuals, so we don’t have any more shoes here. I’d like to see no shoes next year.”
Montgomery County Commission President Carolyn Rice also attended the vigil.
“Housing is a fundamental need to protect people from illness, violence and premature death,” she said. “Everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves a safe, affordable place to call home.”
Montgomery County had 3,397 households and 3,987 people experienced homelessness last year. In 2020, those numbers were 3,444 households and 4,105 people, according to county data.
In the annual one night survey conducted on January 4, 2021, by the Montgomery County Homeless Solutions, there were a total of 570 people residing in emergency shelters or sleeping unsheltered.
That’s down from 670 counted in one night in January 2020, according to the 2020 annual report on homelessness.
