Below you can read about all the events that will take place this January around Vermont to bring awareness to issues around homelessness. Find out how to get in touch with your local housing coalition HERE.
Check out the media coverage of local events:
myChamplainVally.com · Newport Daily Express · Brattleboro Reformer · Bennington Banner · WPTZ
Addison County Housing Coalition
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Location: Downtown Middlebury, Middlebury Town Gazebo
Addison County Homelessness Awareness Day 2026: Remembering Those We’ve Lost is an event organized by the Addison County Housing Coalition (ACHC) and planned in tandem with statewide Homelessness Awareness Day events on January 22, 2026. In recognition of those from the unhoused community who have died in Addison County, we will gather for a candlelight walk through town, culminating at the Middlebury Town Green Gazebo for a brief vigil to memorialize those who are often forgotten.
LED candles will be provided to attendees. Warm drinks and snacks will be provided at the gathering on the green, compliments of Middlebury College. We are also grateful to United Way of Addison County for providing material support for signage. If you are interested in making signs, please come to United Way of Addison County, located at 175 Wilson Road, Suite 101, in Middlebury, from 10:30 to 11:30 am on January 22nd. All are welcome, and we will have supplies available; feel free to bring your own.
Day of Event Timeline:
- 4:30 pm: Gather at College Park (across from the Academy Street Bus Stop) in Middlebury
- 4:45 pm: Candlelight walk down Main Street, culminating at the Town Green Gazebo
- 5:15 pm: Candlelight vigil at the Middlebury Town Green Gazebo
- 5:30 pm – 5:40 pm: Opening remarks (Heidi Lacey, Charter House Coalition Executive Director)
- 5:40 pm – 5:45 pm: Naming of those we’ve lost, followed by a moment of silence
- 5:45 pm: Closing Remarks (Rev. Johny Daigan Widell, Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community, Vermont Cares, and Turning Point Center of Addison County)
Contact: Susan Whitmore, Executive Director of John Graham Housing & Services, susan@johngrahamshelter.org
Chittenden County
📍 City Hall Park, Burlington
🕦 11:30 AM
Join the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance for a Homelessness Awareness Day Vigil honoring our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness in our community.
The vigil will feature a powerful flag display representing the number of individuals currently experiencing homelessness in Chittenden County. Ribbons will signify minors, seniors, people who are unsheltered, and those experiencing sheltered homelessness, offering a visual reminder of the diverse realities behind the data.
We will also share information about the 2026 Point-in-Time Count, a nationwide census coordinated by HUD that will take place on January 28, 2026. The Point-in-Time Count captures a one-night snapshot of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness to estimate community needs, guide resources, track trends, and inform funding for homeless services. The count relies on local volunteers and providers to document the scope of the crisis in our region.
The vigil will include brief remarks from community leaders and partners, including Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who will speak to the homelessness crisis currently impacting Chittenden County and communities across Vermont.
This gathering is an opportunity to reflect, to learn, and to stand together in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness and to recommit ourselves to solutions rooted in dignity, equity, and compassion.
Housing Coalition of Southeast Vermont (Brattleboro Area)
The Housing Coalition of Southeast Vermont will be holding a Homelessness Action Day Vigil at 4pm on January 22nd, at Pliny Park in Brattleboro. The event will include a ceremony of remembrance of those who have died unhoused; a call to action; singing and shared reflections. After the vigil, participants are invited to join a candlelight procession followed by refreshments at ‘69a’ at 134 Elliot Street.
There will also be a flag display on the lawn of the Brattleboro Municipal Center representing the number of individuals in Southern Windham County who were unhoused during 2025. The flags will be put in place on the morning of Thursday, January 22, and remain for a week.
Contact: Fred Breunig, fmbreunig@comcast.net
Contact: Fred Breunig, fmbreunig@comcast.net
Lamoille Valley Housing & Homelessness Coalition
Contact: Kim Anetsberger, kanetsberger@lamoilleshelter.org
Northeast Kingdom Local Housing Coalitions
There will be two events in the Northeast Kingdom: one in Newport, and one in St. Johnsbury. See osters below for more information.
Contact: Casey Winterson, cwinterson@nekcavt.org
Upper Valley Housing Coalition
Contact: L’Tonya Johnson, ljohnson@uppervalleyhaven.org