For Immediate Release
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Contact
Pat LaMarche, Epicjourney10@gmail.com
Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, 303-319-9155, cathy.alderman@coloradocoalition.org
Scott McLarty, (202) 878-2112, scott@memorialblanket.org
Homeless Memorial Blanket Project and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless announce blanket display alongside long standing vigil in Denver on Dec. 21
• When: Sunday, December 21, 2025
Blanket display: TBA
Vigil at 4 pm Mountain Time
• Where: Downtown Denver, in front of the steps of the Denver City and County Building, 1437 Bannock Street and surrounding areas
https://denvergov.org/Community/Parks-and-Public-Spaces/City-Venues-and-Buildings/City-and-County-Building
• More: https://www.coloradocoalition.org/blanketpartnership2025
DENVER, COL. — The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project (https://memorialblanket.org) and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (http://www.coloradocoalition.org) are partnering for a display of handmade blankets and quilts for people experiencing homelessness alongside the community’s long standing vigil on Sunday, Dec. 21.
For the 36th year, community members will gather in front of the steps of the Denver City and County Building in Denver, Colorado to attend the “We Will Remember: Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil” (https://coloradocoalition.org/vigil).
After the display and vigil, the blankets and quilts will be donated to individuals and families in the Denver area who are in need of housing. Handmade blankets and quilts are already arriving from across the US as well as from Australia, Canada, and Germany.
Hosted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, the candlelight vigil and name-reading ceremony pays tribute to neighbors who lived on the streets of the Denver metropolitan area and passed away during 2025. For many of these individuals, this public event will be the only memorial service honoring their lives.
“The vigil has always been about partnership — with local service providers, with the City and County of Denver, and with community members to honor our lost friends and loved ones on the longest night of the year,” said Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project this year to offer artists from across the world a way to help neighbors and bring national attention to the issue of homelessness in Colorado,” said Alderman.
“We at #MemorialBlanket are excited by the opportunity of partnering with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the great work they’ve done spotlighting our human connection to folks in need,” said Blanket Project organizer Pat LaMarche.
“For persons experiencing homelessness and the communities in which they live, all homelessness is local. Sadly, in the United States, there isn’t a location that remains untouched by it. As the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project grows, we hope to cast light on the tragically universal aspect of housing insecurity and the pain it causes to individuals and families,” said LaMarche.
“Elevated Denver is a part of the Memorial Blanket Project to help share the human stories behind homelessness. We can’t solve this crisis unless we connect to the people most affected. When we tie each blanket to a story, we remind ourselves why it matters to care for one another,” said Johnna Flood, CEO of Elevated Denver (https://elevateddenver.co).
Metro Denver Housing Initiative’s 2025 Point-in-Time count showed that 10,774 individuals are experiencing homelessness in the Metro Denver area, a slight increase from 2023 (https://www.mdhi.org/blog/annual-point-in-time-count-shows-an-increase-of-people-experiencing-homelessness-in-denver-metro-area-g5asr). However, more people are in shelters compared to past year, demonstrating the success of expanded shelter capacity and cold weather shelter initiatives.
According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach Report (https://nlihc.org/oor), Colorado has the 8th highest housing wage in the nation. The lack of affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness in Colorado (https://www.coloradocoalition.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/COAffordableHousingCrisis_StrategicInvestmentReport_CCH_2023.pdf).
Donating handmade blankets and quilts
2025 marks the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project’s fifth year and the first time it has moved off the east coast. Last winter’s display took place at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 21, 2024. More than one thousand donated handmade blankets and quilts covered the lawn and were thereafter distributed to families and individuals without homes.
Organizers have issued an invitation to people who care: “Whether you’re a skilled knitter, crocheter, sewer, or new to crafting, your contribution can provide a special, personal touch to those in need of warmth.”
Participants can create blankets using any method they prefer — by knitting, crocheting, quilting, or sewing — and can donate them through the Memorial Blanket Initiative. The blankets can be either 45 inches x 80 inches for individuals or 60 inches x 80 inches for family blankets. The Memorial Blanket newsletter at https://memorialblanket.org will provide information on transporting blankets to the display location. Baby blankets are accepted as well.
For those unable to make blankets but still eager to contribute, financial donations are also accepted to help cover shipping costs, materials for others to turn into blankets and to support other organizational efforts. Donations can be made directly at https://memorialblanket.org.
The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project is hosted by the Charles Bruce Foundation (https://charlesbrucefoundation.com), which is located in central Pennsylvania.
#memorialblanket
MORE INFORMATION
Homeless Memorial Blanket Project on Facebook (national group)
To find a state Facebook group, type Homeless Remembrance Blanket and the state’s name in Search
https://www.facebook.com/groups/322512689587858
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MemorialBlanket
~ END ~