Tag: Memorial

TCCC’s 2nd Annual Homeless Memorial

Carrie Grover |

Photo: Credit to Bob Brownne with Tracy Press. Pictured: Carrie Grover, TCCC’s Executive Director, sharing her thoughts during the ceremony. Read the article from Tracy Press for more photos and details, including many of the beautiful words spoken by Carrie.

On December 20, 2025, Tracy Community Connections Center gathered with community members at Redemption Road Church to honor neighbors who died while experiencing homelessness. Held on the longest night of the year, our annual Homeless Memorial is a time to pause, remember, and acknowledge lives that mattered deeply, even if their struggles often went unseen.

This memorial is part of the National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, observed across the country each year on or around December 21. Communities nationwide come together on this date to recognize the human cost of homelessness and to remember those who passed without stable shelter.

At the memorial, TCCC staff, volunteers, faith leaders, and local residents stood together in quiet reflection while names were read aloud. Each moment served as a reminder that homelessness is not abstract or distant. It exists here, in our city, affecting people with stories, families, and histories.

The names of those remembered: Jared Jones, Barbara Ezzihar, Dennis Wayne Rudd, Deedra Gollihar, Raul Madrigal, Frank Bonilla, and Lisa Nurse, were read aloud as a bell rang in their honor.

Events like this are difficult but necessary. They ground our work in humanity. They remind us why outreach, housing navigation, hygiene services, and case management matter so much, especially during the coldest months of the year. Winter is often the most dangerous season for people living outdoors, and the longest night carries symbolic weight for those experiencing isolation, loss, and vulnerability.

We are grateful to everyone who attended, supported, or held space for this event. As we move into the new year, we carry these names with us, not just as memories, but as motivation to keep showing up for our unhoused neighbors.

To learn more about our outreach work or how to get involved, visit tracyccc.org/get-involved or call us at (209) 407-9649.

TCCC’s 1st Annual Homeless Memorial

Carrie Grover |

On the first day of winter, Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC) paused our outreach work to honor community members who died while experiencing homelessness in Tracy.

We gathered behind New Heart Church on Bessie Avenue on Saturday, December 21, 2024. TCCC staff, volunteers, and neighbors prayed, and heard the names of 44 people we lost in 2024, read by Pastor Patrick Williams. For each name spoken, there was also a story underneath of hopes deferred, of challenges unseen, of a neighbor we never had the chance to serve fully.

This was the first of what we plan to make an annual event. For reasons ranging from chronic illness to lack of safe shelter, the 44 people we honored lost their lives to homelessness over the last 5 years. By gathering together and remembering the losses, we emphasize the importance of empathy, respect, and making connections with every human life.

The event was reported by Bob Browne of Tracy Press and you can read their article, and interviews with our team, here:
Outreach group honors those who have died while homeless

Tccc Memorial 1 Tccc Memorial 3 Tccc Memorial 2

Why We Gather

  • Remembering Stories: Homelessness isn’t a statistic – it’s lived experience. By reading each name, we remind ourselves that behind every life lost was a person with dreams, struggles, and dignity.

  • Building Community: The memorial draws volunteers, faith leaders, business owners, and public officials. It’s a stark reminder that tackling homelessness is everyone’s responsibility.

  • Recommitting to Action: This event isn’t an endpoint—it’s a spark. In the days after, our outreach team ramps up efforts to connect more people to our housing navigation, medical recuperative care, and hygiene services.

Join Us
If you’d like to attend next year’s memorial or help us expand our outreach, visit tracyccc.org/get-involved or call us at (209) 407-9649.