COMMUNITY FEATURE PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HOMELESSNESS MEMORIAL BLANKET PROJECT HANDMADE BLANKETS HONOR DENVER’S UNHOUSED AT ANNUAL VIGIL — DESPITE TARIFF HURDLES STORY BY ELISABETH MONAGHAN EVERY YEAR, DENVERITES GATHER AT THE CITY AND COUNTY Building on December 21 for the annual We Will Remember memorial vigil honoring people who died while experiencing homelessness in the metro area. This year’s vigil will feature a new visual tribute: hundreds of handmade blankets and quilts displayed as part of the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project, a national art and compassion initiative making its first appearance west of the Mississippi. Each blanket is made and donated by volunteers from across the United States and abroad as a gesture of solidarity with people facing housing insecurity. The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project is partnering with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for the event. After the Dec. 21 display, the blankets will be distributed to individuals and families in need throughout the Denver area. “The vigil has always been about partnership, with local service providers, with the City and County of Denver, and with community members to honor our lost friends and loved ones on the longest night of the year,” Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said in a press release. “We’re incredibly proud to partner with the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project this year to bring national attention to the issue of homelessness in Colorado.” “No matter where they come from, these blankets — and the people who make them — remind us that everyone deserves warmth, dignity, and to be remembered,” she added. Now in its fifth year, the Blanket Project has grown into a global effort, with handmade creations arriving from across the country as well as from Australia, Canada, and Germany. The vigil is happening at a time when the new U.S. tariff policies are complicating donations from abroad. Organizers say President Trump’s elimination of the de minimis exemption has imposed taxes on incoming parcels, forcing nonprofits to pay tariffs on handmade gifts intended for unhoused Americans. “Every year, people around the world handcraft blankets to bring comfort and dignity to those without stable housing,” said volunteer Max Donnelly, who has been with the project since it began. “But now we’re being forced to pay simply to accept these gifts.” Despite the financial hurdles, organizers say the donations continue to flow in. “There is no tariff on compassion,” said the Rev. Matthew Best, co-founder of the Blanket Project, in a story published on the Blanket Project’s Website. “These blankets witness to the truth that every person is beloved,” he added. Those who wish to participate in the Blanket Project can donate handmade blankets or contribute funds to help cover materials and shipping costs at memorialblanket.org. November 2025 DENVER VOICE 5
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