Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published December 21, 2023 6:56 P.M.

(Rochester, Pa) A ceremony was held Thursday evening outside of Beaver County Transit Authority in Rochester to honor the lives of those who died while homeless in Beaver County.

Those who attended participated in a candlelight memorial on the longest night of the year along W Washington Street to honor those who passed while homeless.

At least one Beaver County resident died while homeless in 2023, 9 deaths were reported in 2021 and 7 in 2022. Beaver County Continuum of Care Coordinator Dina Ciabattoni stated that the goal is to have no homeless deaths in the county in 2024.

The event was hosted by the Beaver County Continuum of Care, The Cornerstone of Beaver County, The Housing Authority of the County of Beaver, Trails Ministries, Housing Opportunities of Beaver County, Cornerstone Recovery & Supports, Pinnacle, and the Active Community of Real Estate Entrepreneurs.