Local advocates will mark National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day with a series of events scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19 and Friday, Dec. 20.
The annual observance is dedicated to remembering people who have died in homelessness and to bringing attention to the need for policies aimed at reducing and ending homelessness.
National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day events have been organized every year since 1990 by the National Coalition for the Homeless and are now held in over 100 communities nationwide. Local groups including the People for Fairness Coalition and Housing For All pitched in to help plan this year’s activities. The annual observances are typically held on or around the winter solstice, which marks the longest night of the year.
Events will kick off Thursday, Dec. 19 with a 5 p.m. dinner and rally at Freedom Plaza, located at 14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. An overnight sleep-out will follow.
On Friday, Dec. 20, activities will resume at 9:30 a.m. with music and speakers followed by a procession to New York Avenue Presbyterian Church located at 1313 New York Avenue NW.
Homeless and formerly homeless participants plan to carry an empty coffin along the route, according to Michael Stoops, of the National Coalition for the Homeless.
“We plan to do a funeral procession north from Freedom Plaza up to New York Avenue Presbyterian Church,” Stoops said. An 11 a.m. lunch will be served at the church, to be followed by a noon vigil in the sanctuary. The service will feature songs and prayers. Candles will be lighted and the names of homeless people who have died over the past year will be read aloud.
At 1 p.m., following the service, the procession will resume, with the coffin being carried north to Luther Place Memorial Church located on Thomas Circle at 1226 Vermont Ave. NW.
A memorial burial plot at the apex of the Luther Place triangle is the final resting place of homeless activist Mitch Snyder as well as several homeless women.
The following are the names of the people to be remembered at this year’s vigil.
Graddy Baxter
Christian Blake
Larry Bowles
Bruce Crayton
Gwendolyn Dawkins
Patrick Early
Howard Franklin
Andrew Shepherd Green
Allison Lee
Dialobe Mcdougalel
Jefferson McNair
Johnny Molloy
Manuel Morales
Thomas Norman
Johnny Carlyn Rossettos, Sr.
Elgin Sanders
Joyner Savage
Pedro Sorto
Sheila Young
David Waters
