Under the cover of darkness last night, about 30 people lit white candles while they shouted, "The people united will never be defeated."
Several of them hung up a 100-foot long banner with the slogan "Fight poverty, not the poor" outside the Ann Arbor Armory on the corner of Fifth and Ann streets.
"Now is the time to push the community to put money in housing. The current shelters can't be used for everything because they are too small," said Larry Fox, a member of the Homeless Action Committee.
The candlelight demonstration, sponsored by HAC, opened Homeless Awareness Week last night.
Participants, including University students and community members, gathered to raise support for converting the Armory into an office to serve the homeless in Ann Arbor.
As part of national Homeless Awareness Week, Project Serve and several Ann Arbor community groups will hold a series of events throughout this week.
HAC is a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless.
"We don't have enough to eat, we don't have enough medical care, shelters are all full and many homeless people are being turned away," said Carole McCabe, director of Avalon House, a nonprofit housing provider for the homeless.
"That's why we are here tonight. It's getting worse. People are freezing," McCabe said.
Students said they found the candlelight ceremony significant in terms of raising people's concerns about the problems of homelessness.
"We should be here to support the position to work on the problem," said RC junior Kara Moore. "We need to make the problems visible."
Fox said he hopes the event will educate the public about low-income housing and the actions that need to be taken to help the homeless.
"Candlelight reminds people that the homeless people are ignored by society," said LSA junior Delphine Mauger. "The light represents the dignity of those people whose rights are denied."
Apart from supporting various Ann Arbor community groups during the week, Project Serve is organizing a sleep-out from 10 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday on the Diag. The sleep-out will include a candlelight march, guest speakers from Avalon House and Ozone House, and a reflection and discussion session.
From today until Saturday, students can volunteer to work at an Ann Arbor homeless shelter or at the Hunger Coalition, help out in the supply drive, and serve dinner for the homeless.