LEWISTON — The Lewiston-Auburn Alliance for Services to the Homeless and New Beginnings invite the community to join their annual candlelight vigil to remember homeless people during the holiday season. It will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, in downtown Lewiston.

For more than 12 years, LAASH and New Beginnings have held the vigil as part of a national movement of cities marking National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on or near the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.

Supporters will meet at 4:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Trinity Jubilee Center at Trinity Episcopal Church. The courtyard entrance is on Spruce Street near the corner with Bates Street. Vigil participants are invited to bring nonperishable and canned food, which will be collected at Trinity.

After a few words and lighting of candles, vigil participants will walk several blocks down Bates Street to Main Street. The procession will turn right on Main Street and continue up Sabattus Street and stop in front of Calvary United Methodist Church in the triangle between Sabattus, College and Bartlett streets.

Vigil participants are encouraged to bring signs to hold as the vigil remains in front of Calvary to raise awareness of homelessness to passers-by during the evening commute.

Participants are invited to join the vigil at any point, and groups from businesses and service providers near the route are especially encouraged to join as the vigil passes.

Refreshments donated by St. Mary’s Nutrition Center and the Bread Shack will be available indoors at Calvary.

New Beginnings will provide van service back to Jubilee or the Park Street garage as needed.