Homeless Dead

(noon – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)

Not forgotten: Salvation Army hosts memorial for area homeless who have died

by Kari Knutson

December 22, 2009

“Mark, age 19.” The name and age drew gasps when read Monday at the Salvation Army’s Candlelight Memorial to remember those in the La Crosse area who died while homeless or previously homeless.

Six other names were read and candles lit in their memory. An eighth was lit to honor the unknown who have died.

“Homelessness is much more prevalent in La Crosse than people think,” said Kathy Bolling, emergency homeless shelter case manager.

Utahns hold vigil to remember homeless

December 22, 2009

StandardNet

SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns are remembering the 58 people who died in 2009 in the state after struggling with homelessness.

A vigil was held Monday at Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Park during which each person’s name was read aloud.

The number of homeless people who died in Utah in 2009 was four more than in 2008. The figure included those who may have recently moved into housing but spent decades on the streets.

City remembers homeless who died this year

December 22, 2009

Baltimore Sun

by Joe Burris

Mark Schumann stood among about 100 people braving the cold at the Inner Harbor Monday night to commemorate National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. The 52-year-old gave up living on the streets five months ago and now resides in a shelter – which means like most everyone else at the event, he would come in from the cold.

But he knows what it’s like not to.

Dozens gather to remember homeless who have died

December 23, 2009

The RRStar

Rockford

by Mike DeDoncker

About 60 people gathered Tuesday at Carpenter’s Place, 1149 Railroad Ave., for a service to observe Homeless Persons Memorial Day, held annually to commemorate homeless people who have died during the year.

The service included a ceremony at which two Carpenter’s Place guests lighted candles in memory of 20 people, ages 26 through 68, who died on Rockford streets in 2009. Shelton Kay, director of the Crusader Community Healthcare for the Homeless Program, read each name as the candles were lit.

“Many homeless persons die alone, silently and without public recognition,” Kay said. “This is a special way to formally remember our homeless friends and neighbors who died in 2009.” The event is held in conjunction with National Homeless Persons Memorial Day each year on or near the first day of winter because it has the longest night of the year.

Santa Cruz service honors homeless dead

San Jose Mercury News

December 22, 2009

by Genevieve Bookwalter

SANTA CRUZ – Poems were read and tears shed as the homeless, their friends and families on Tuesday honored the 47 from their ranks who died this year.

“I miss them and I love them and I’ve learned a lot from them,” said Stephen Nelson, 58, a formerly homeless man who now works night security at the Homeless Services Center on Coral Street. “In the midst of all our pain, we need each other.”

The annual service marked a decade of honoring the homeless dead of Santa Cruz County, and was accompanied by similar memorials in communities across the continent.

Candlelight service honors homeless who died in Reno

December 22, 2009

by Victor Calderon

Reno Gazette Journal

An emotional memorial service Monday in Reno honored 34 homeless people who died in the past year.

“We want to bring to the city’s attention that every person has worth to God,” Pastor Judith Bither said before the service at the Reno First United Methodist Church.

During the gathering of about 40 people, the names of the deceased were distributed. Someone from the audience walked to the front of the church and read the name, as a member of the clergy lit a candle for in the person’s memory. The names were gathered by Reno police, organizers said.

Number of homeless deaths continues to rise

December 21, 2009

by Julia Lyon

Salt Lake Tribune

The temperature dropped into the teens the night Kelvin Black sat down in Salt Lake City and never got up again. At 39, the homeless man had slept outside for much of his life, but things were finally looking up. Since spring, he’d had his own room at an apartment complex for the formerly homeless, Palmer Court — though it took him a while to unfold the clean sheets and stop sleeping on the floor.

He should have been one of the success stories. Instead, Black died on the sidewalk about a block and a half from his new home on Dec. 4. Black, who suffered from alcoholism, didn’t follow his friends when they encouraged him to go back to Palmer Court on that bitterly cold night. He was among the 58 people — a new record — who died this year after struggling with homelessness.

“Here’s a kid, he’s from a broken family raised out in the street,” said Ed Snoddy, who knew Black from his years of work at the Volunteers of America in Utah. “He was probably the first one in his family to have permanent housing.”

More than 80 dead in European winter weather

BBC News

December 22, 2009

More than 80 people have died across Europe as days of snow storms and sub-zero temperatures swept the continent, causing traffic chaos for millions.

At least 42 people have frozen to death in Poland over the last three days and another 27 in Ukraine.

Honoring the Homeless Who Died in 2009, Resolving to do Better in 2010

Shannon Moriarty

homelessness.change.org

December 18, 2009

December 21st is the longest day of the year and the coldest day of the year. So it is an appropriate day to honor and mourn those who died in the past year without a home.  But as communities gather to remember and honor those who have died, let us resolve to do whatever it takes to ensure that such memorials do not need to become an annual event.

National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day is always a day of mixed feelings for me. On one hand, it’s right and honorable to provide a proper memorial for those who have passed. But it’s impossible to forget that, for many, this will be the only memorial service they receive. Far too many individuals die on the streets, in cars, in shelter with no family or no loved ones to mourn for them. Yes, this is incredibly sad. But it makes this annual event all the more important.

Crossposted from Wild Wild Left and Free Speech Zone.