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Vigil marks "Homeless Memorial Day"
Homeless advocates and formerly homeless representatives gather on the first day of winter to call attention to plight.
Vigil marks "Homeless Memorial Day"
Homelessness is a year-round problem in Philly, but on the first day of winter, and the longest night of the year, it seems like an appropriate time to recognize just how devastating it can be. So, we have Homeless Memorial Day, a ceremony to commemorate homeless people who died this year and to renew the call to battle homelessness. Sister Mary Scullion, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and others will gather this afternoon at 4:30 at Broad Street Ministry, 315 S. Broad St., to mark the occasion and call for action. (Press release follows.)
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Philadelphia to Observe Homeless Memorial Day on First Day of Winter
Vigil Will Remember Homeless and Formerly Homeless Philadelphians, Call for an End to Homelessness
PHILADELPHIA, PA — On the longest night of the year , advocates, service providers, homeless and formerly homeless people, religious leaders, and concerned citizens will celebrate the lives of homeless men and women who died this year in Philadelphia and will renew their commitment to ending homelessness in our city and our nation. Homeless Memorial Day, an annual event commemorated in over 150 cities and counties across the United States, will be held in Philadelphia on Wednesday, December 21, at 4:30 p.m. at Broad Street Ministry(Outside); 315 S. Broad Street, Center City Philadelphia.
Building on the theme of “Remember, Hope, and Heal,” the event will feature a ceremonial reading of the names of those persons, homeless and formerly homeless, who died in the past year. This year’s speakers will include well-known homeless advocate Sister Mary Scullion, as well as local community and religious leaders and several formerly homeless persons. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell will present a proclamation from City Council on Homeless Memorial Day
Organizers of this year’s event will once again call attention to this time of economic hardship for many Americans. Millions of Americans struggle with poverty, joblessness, and homelessness. In these tough economy times, resources appear to be decreasing, while those in need of services are on the rise. The New York Times reports that while the “the typical victim of chronic homelessness is a single man who suffers from a disabling condition like mental illness…the number of homeless families that have turned to shelters jumped by 20 percent, to 567,334 in 2010 from 473,541 in 200.” Homelessness no longer only affects “those people.” It is an issue that affects us all.
Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless has sponsored National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on the first day of winter to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless citizens who have paid the ultimate price for our nation’s failure to address the issue. More information and background information on National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day are available at www.nhchc.org/memorialday.html and www.projecthome.org.
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