This year, nearly one thousand people in Lee County were homeless. Some have passed away, but thanks to one organization’s efforts, the homeless will not be forgotten.
The Lee County Homeless Coalition’s 19th Annual Candlelight Vigil is  scheduled for Monday, Dec. 21.
The event will honor the estimated 16 homeless individuals who passed away in the community this year.
A secondary function of the vigil is to educate the general public about homelessness and encourage Lee County citizens to support a local need for more affordable housing and shelter, increased living wages and widely accessible health care.
Janet Bartos, the executive director of the coalition, and Jan Frick, a member of the Coalition, will both be speaking at the vigil.
Pastor Shane Frazier of Next Level Church will lead the attendees in prayer at the beginning of the event. Harvey Charter,the Commander of Victor Paul Tuchman Post 400 Jewish War Veterans, will perform Taps. The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers Youth Choir, led by choir director Darlene Mitchell, will provide music for the vigil.
The Lee County Homeless Coalition is a non-profit organization that consists of community and faith-based service providers, local businesses and people who are presently experiencing homelessness (or who have experienced homelessness in the past) and other advocates dedicated to ending homelessness.
The event is being hosted on the steps of the Old Lee County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in Fort Myers, at 6 p.m.

For more information regarding the event and the coalition, contact Janet Bartos at (239) 322-6600. To receive further information about the Lee County Homeless Coalition, visit its website at www.leehomeless.org.