In a windswept yard, the crowd standing outside of the doors of the Shalom Center, 1713 62nd St., struggled in vain to keep their candles lit Sunday evening.

Now and then, the waxed paper cup covers on the candles flared into fire, and quick action was required to keep the symbolic flames from becoming problematic ones.

In the light of recent troubles in the economy, the metaphor wasn’t lost on those gathered at the candlelight vigil to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness.

“We have had so many obstacles just to do this one little symbolic act, and yet we are gathered here,” the Rev. Georgette Wonders of Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist, told the crowd.

“We’re borrowing light from one another. Don’t be discouraged: there is a lot to be done, but we share. Let us all remember that we are all dependent on one another to keep our candle burning.”

Nearly 30 people came to the event to stand in solidarity with the hungry and the homeless in their fight for survival.

The annual vigil is held in conjunction with the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 15-21.

Wonders spoke of overcoming the obstacles to full employment, one of the great causes of homelessness, and all the other factors that make poverty a complicated problem.

The quest to establish a single homeless shelter in the city, Wonders said, is another step in chipping away at the problem, although it won’t be the ultimate solution.

She called upon those in the crowd to be compassionate, persistent and persuasive advocates for those in need.

“Last year over 3.5 million people in the United States were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges in shelters or cars,” said Lisa Haen, chairwoman of the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Task Force in Kenosha County.

“The combination of the high cost of living, low-wage jobs and high unemployment rate, (currently 10.2 percent nationally and higher in Wisconsin) forced Americans to choose between food, housing and other expenses.

“Studies show that money devoted to food is typically the first to be sacrificed. Families will often pay their fixed payments first, such as rent and utilities, rather than pay for food.”

The numbers of the unemployed and underemployed people continue to increase, and therefore the need for services and programs the Shalom Center offers also increases, said Dan Melyon, executive director of the Shalom Center.

“What we currently have continues to be overwhelmed by the demand, and we need stronger support and cooperation to meet the challenges,” Melyon said.