Join us for a "Longest Night Vigil" in Barre City Hall park this Thursday, December 21st, 4:30-5:30pm (weather location, Rainbow Bridge Community Center). This is a gathering to honor, grieve, and celebrate the lives we have lost to poverty and the streets, and to call for fundamental solutions to the violence of poverty - policy murder.
The winter holiday season in the western world represents one of the most brutal and contradictory times of year. On display are extreme inequality, consumerism, and commercialism, while cold weather and long nights threaten the lives of those on the street. Charities - also top of mind, this time of year - espouse concern and care for those "less fortunate," but the inadequate services provided, are not solutions, but mere bandaids. And the system that created poverty and homelessness in the first place, remains unchanged.
The Longest Night Vigil is about us: the 140 million poor and low-wealth people in this country - who are only one crisis away from tragedy or death, and we are demanding change. We need solidarity not charity. We are changing the narrative from: If you don't have the means to EARN your human rights - then you don't deserve them --- TO ---- Poverty is violence. Homelessness is violence. Poverty is a systemic problem, created by a system that puts profit over people.
Join us Thursday to share community, stories, grief, joy, hot cider, and more.