TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Primavera Foundation will honor National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day on Thursday, Dec. 21 at Paupers’ Field at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N. Oracle Road, at 4 p.m. The foundation and other community members will gather to remember those who died without a home with musical reflections, prayers and a reading of names.
"Last year there were 227 overall homeless individuals who perished in the streets," Tisha Tallman, CEO of Primavera Foundation, said. "This year it's down just slightly to 215. And unidentified individuals who died in the streets — that number went down slightly to 82."
She said it's open to the public for everyone to come and remember those lives lost.
"I think it's just a coming together, a recognizing of the humanity of every individual," she said. "That one life lost is too many here in Tucson and Pima County."
The foundation is also looking for donations, which can be dropped off at the memorial service or at the Primavera Foundation Training Center. 151 W. 40th St.
Items the organizers are looking for include:
- blankets
- jackets
- gloves
- hats
- books
- grocery gift cards
- hygiene items
The Primavera Foundation is celebrating 40 years of service to the community in Tucson this year, focusing on pathways out of poverty for individuals and families.
"We do temporary emergency shelter, we do transitional housing, and then we also do safe and affordable housing—because there is an affordable housing crisis," Tallman said.
Tallman tells KGUN 9 that through Primavera's work with the annual Point In Time Count, they learned this year that Tucson and Pima County saw an overall increase in homelessness by 60% from 2018 to 2023. To learn more about the Primavera Foundation, visit their website, primavera.org.
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