In Photo: Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) Executive Director Leah Reynolds with KACS board member Leon Spencer.

 

By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

More than 30 members of the local community gathered outside of Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) at 136 West Cedar Street on Dec. 21 to honor those who have died while being homeless, as part of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.

The ceremony takes place annually on the winter solstice and longest night of the year to remember those who have died without stable housing, to reflect on the shocking inhumanity of homelessness, and to call for meaningful policy changes. 

The ceremony also included comments from KACS Executive Director Leah Reynolds and an a cappella performance of “I’ll Be Seeing You” by KACS board member Leon Spencer. In addition to the KACS event, several parishes across Chester County rang their bells at 1 p.m., and at 7 p.m., and Warm Blanket candles created by KACS and Candle Studio 1422 were lit to shine a light on homelessness.

Following the moment of silence, Reynolds told the audience that with the new year about to approach, 2022 will “be a time for us to use our voices to share the message that “we cannot accept homelessness and to move the conversation to address poverty, hunger and the need for affordable housing,” she said.

“We – we here – will continue to work with our partners and friends in the community to shine a light on this important issue.”

Reynolds then announced that KACS’ “Don’t Settle For Homelessness” initiative in partnership with the Waterkotte Group, a Kennett Square-based component of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. The Waterkotte Group will invite 52 agents from the BHHS Fox & Roach office to join them in the initiative.

Reynolds said that eventually the program will be rolled out to other real estate agencies throughout the southern Chester County region and eventually to other states, “so that every real estate agent has an opportunity to help local organizations end food insecurity, poverty and homelessness,” she said.

This year’s memorial also included events throughout Chester County with KACS’ partners at Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness and Open Hearth Inc.

To learn more about KACS, visit: www.kacsonline.net.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].