Soon after the sun set over Santa Barbara, Ann Hagan grabbed a marker and wrote a short message to the 20 strangers who died in the devastating Montecito mudslides.

“In our hearts,” she wrote before signing her name on a whiteboard put up at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

Hagan was one of thousands of people who huddled at the courthouse late Sunday evening to take part in a candlelight vigil.

“This is a healing experience for everyone here,” said Jennifer Adame, 44, of Santa Barbara. “Everyone feels frightened by the tragedies in the past two months.”

On Wednesday, Santa Barbara County will open an assistance center at Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara to offer resources to help the community recover and rebuild.

At Sunday’s vigil, Lauren Watson, whose family put up the whiteboard they called the “healing wall,” said they planned to take the messages around the area starting Monday — to the Center Stage Theater, farmers markets and other places downtown. Watson said the wall may even travel to Ventura.

To read more of Michael Livingston and Alene Tchekmedyian's article (originally posted in the Los Angeles Times), please click here.