{"id":87145,"date":"2025-12-17T21:06:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T21:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/87145\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T21:06:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T21:06:31","slug":"orange-county-remembers-its-136-homeless-who-died-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/87145\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County remembers its 136 homeless who died in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story is part of the News Collaborative of Central Florida, an initiative of independent local news outlets working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida. It was originally published WKMG-News 6.<\/p>\n

Among the tall palms of Downtown Orlando\u2019s Heritage Square, bedecked with lights, a small artificial Christmas tree near the entrance to the Orange County Regional History Center might be easy to miss.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday morning, dozens gathered nearby to pray, and to remember 136 people who also, on any other day, might have gone unnoticed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe pause, gather and reflect to honor those who have died on the streets or in emergency shelters,\u201d said Kristi Nowrouzi with IDignity, an organization that helps people get paperwork and identification cards.<\/p>\n

One by one, advocates picked up white paper doves and added them to the tree. On each of 135 doves was written the name of someone who was homeless who died this year.<\/p>\n

The 136th dove went to \u201cJohn Doe,\u201d a homeless man whose name may never be known.<\/p>\n

IDignity has organized the Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service for the past 12 years, in concert with the area\u2019s homeless advocacy groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who are not likely to have had a memorial service of their own, folks with limited family and social connections,\u201d said Martha Are, chief executive officer for Homeless Services Network of Central Florida. \u201cThe important part is that they have a service to honor them the same way housed people are honored.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 An observer prays during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Paper<\/p>\n

Paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are placed on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, far left, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are placed on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Guests pray during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are placed on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, far left, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are listed in the program during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are placed on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, far left, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are placed on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Jordan Markham places paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, far left, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Joel<\/p>\n

Joel Hunter, Pastor of Community Benefit at Action Church in Winter Park, gets a hug during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Guests gather in Heritage Park for the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Paper doves representing homeless individuals who passed away in the last year are placed on a Christmas tree in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Joel<\/p>\n

Joel Hunter, Pastor of Community Benefit at Action Church in Winter Park, greets Dr. Reggie Kidd, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"REMEMBERING<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 Jonathan Green tolls the bell in Heritage Park during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 14<\/p>\n

REMEMBERING THE HOMELESS \u2014 An observer prays during the annual Central Florida Homeless Persons\u2019 Memorial Service in downtown Orlando, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Hosted by iDignity, the multi-denominational service drew several hundred attending, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, clergy and community leaders. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

According to the annual census of homeless people, known as the Point-In-Time Count, there are an estimated 2,781 people in the Orlando area who were considered homeless in 2025, with 1,090 of those people sleeping outdoors or in cars. Advocates who try to connect homeless people with services say the number is higher.<\/p>\n

Advocacy groups say they have helped more than 4,000 homeless people into housing programs this year alone. Staff and volunteers go into the woods, under overpasses, to parks, anywhere homeless people can find a place to sleep.<\/p>\n

Richard Amabile, who works with United Global Outreach and Samaritan Resource Center, says it can take time and patience to build the trust to get people to accept help.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry to meet them where they are at, in the encampments, on the streets, gas stations, in the medians, wherever they are. Try to introduce myself, get to know them, try meet them where they are, to build a relationship with them and try to build some trust with them so I can assess their needs and try to help them,\u201d Amabile said.<\/p>\n

These days, it\u2019s tougher to build that trust.<\/p>\n

Over the past year, News 6 and about a dozen local media partners have tracked and reported on how Florida\u2019s public camping ban is affecting the homeless community and those who try to help them.<\/p>\n

The law, HB 1365, forced local governments to find ways to get people off the streets by allowing residents to sue if they feel nothing is being done.<\/p>\n

A News 6 analysis of court records found 195 arrests in Orange County from Dec. 31, 2024 to Dec. 16 for public camping.<\/p>\n

Another 88 arrests occurred under some variation of the charge of \u201cbeing in a park after hours.\u201d\u00a0 Three arrests were found under the charge of \u201csitting or laying down on a sidewalk downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

The overwhelming majority of the arrests are in the city of Orlando. News 6 found a total of 279 arrests by Orlando Police Department in court records across all charges. Six were found in Ocoee, and one each were found in Apopka and Winter Park.<\/p>\n

One of the top arrest locations is Heritage Square, where this year\u2019s memorial service took place.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing previously homeless myself, honestly, my thoughts were \u2013 I felt like I was not valued,\u201d Amabile said. \u201cI didn\u2019t really meet people that were going out into camps and doing all that, probably because I was just hiding or what the case may be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want people to feel that way, I want them to know that they\u2019re cared for, and there is help, and it is possible to recover if you are addicted\u2026.\u201d Amabile added tearfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that people are still hiding,\u201d Are said. \u201cThere are definitely people who are looking for places where they can sleep without triggering an arrest or being moved on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nowrouzi said this year the service had fewer names to remember, but the list is no less heartbreaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really easy to pass judgment as we drive past people who are walking down the streets, and we know that they don\u2019t have a home of their own, but everybody has a story, and there\u2019s a lot of circumstances that may have driven them to where they\u2019re at in their life right now,\u201d Nowrouzi said.<\/p>\n

Richard Amabile looked to find Joseph Crenshaw\u2019s name on the tree.<\/p>\n

Amabile met Crenshaw several times over the last few months during his outreach. Amabile described him as bright, kind, and always trying to help. He had struggled with drug addiction, but was doing well in a program. Amabile said he also cared for a woman who had one leg, who was now alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis just happened a couple weeks ago, and a lot of lives were touched by his life,\u201d Amabile said. \u201cAnd a lot of people miss him now. A lot of people mourn his loss, and I\u2019m mourning this loss because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This story is part of the News Collaborative of Central Florida, an initiative of independent local news outlets…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87146,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[28,114,266,1335,139,141,140],"class_list":{"0":"post-87145","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-orlando","8":"tag-florida","9":"tag-latest-headlines","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-orange-county","12":"tag-orlando","13":"tag-orlando-headlines","14":"tag-orlando-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}