CINCINNATI — A group gathered at Washington Park Wednesday night to remember those who died in Cincinnati this year while experiencing homelessness. The list of names was the largest it's ever been since the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition started compiling a list.
“168 people is the largest number of people we have ever counted and this is just the people that we know about,” said Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition.
The coalition compiles the list with the help of shelters, other organizations and the friends and family of those who died. It holds the memorial every year on the winter solstice — the longest night of the year.
This year, it's on the eve of a major storm with wind chills expected to be well below zero.
Current winter shelters like Shelterhouse will continue to operate at night, but many of them are already hovering around capacity.
"Our biggest family shelter, Bethany House, they are full and are attempting to take donations to be able to put people — families with children — into hotel rooms," Spring said.
During the day, all of the City of Cincinnati's rec centers will be open as warming shelters Thursday and Friday. The Corryville Rec Center will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday. You can find a full list and hours here.
On the other side of the river, the governor has issued a state of emergency.
The Emergency Shelter of NKY is expanding its services to open as a warming center during the day and at night.
"We will have guests in the beds sleeping. We'll be all full, 68 beds and then we can have about 55 in this space just staying warm and safe in this temperature," executive director Kim Webb said.
Both organizations said the best way to help is through monetary donations. The emergency shelter said gift cards to places like Kroger are also helpful because they'll need to make sure they have enough food for expanded meal operations.
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