E-Free offering memorial to lives lost during pandemic

By Dale Woodard on August 21, 2021.

A special two-day event will be taking place early next month allowing people to honour and remember loved ones lost since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last March.
“An Event to Remember” will take place Sept. 8-9 at the Evangelical Free Church at 4717-24 Ave. South.
The event is open for anyone wanting to submit a photo of their lost loved one to be put in display, giving a proper acknowledgement to those who have passed away in the last 18 months.
“People can come to the church between noon and 8 p.m. and just walk through the room,” said Monica Loewen, Minister of Community Engagement at the Evangelical Free Church. “We’re not having an official program or anything. It’s just a place for people to walk through. We can walk through and acknowledge those who have been lost. It’s not a church service. It’s a safe space for people to have their losses acknowledged.”
Loewen noted the excitement from people when the church opened up and people were allowed to gather again.
However, said Loewen, there were also people who weren’t coming back, something that hit close to home for her.
“We’ve been having these conversations about (how) there are people who within our group won’t be coming back and how things are not normal,” she said. “For me, it’s very personal. I lost my mom this spring.”
The pandemic has been very different for everyone, said Loewen, but added one aspect that was unfortunately familiar to many was the inability to gather around funerals and memorials.
“Not only did many walk that journey of loss, they were unable to be surrounded by the people they love and to have that support and also to have their loss acknowledged,” she said. “I talk to people and they have no idea my mom died because we weren’t gathering. So we’re realizing there are many, many people in the community who have not had their losses acknowledged. That is so important, to have space to honour and to acknowledge those who we have lost and have been unable to.”
Anyone who has lost a loved one since the beginning of the pandemic – whether to COVID, cancer or any other cause – can submit their photo, the name of the person, birthdate and passing date through http://www.efreelethbridge.ca/#remember
“We’re going to print those onto posters and on Sept. 8 and 9 we’re going to have a room set up here at the church with all of these posters displayed.”
The deadline for submissions is this Wednesday.
“There is no charge, people are just welcome to come,” said Loewen. “We have all walked a different journey and we just want to make a safe place for us to gather and honour those we have lost.”

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