Advocates and friends will gather for an annual vigil to remember the homeless people who have died in and around Washington, D.C. during the past year.
The local observance of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day will be held on Dec. 21 at at 6 p.m. at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church (1313 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005). The service will be coordinated with more than 150 other cities.
Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless has held a vigil every year on the evening of the winter solstice, which is the day of the year that includes the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.
The local memorial is co-sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and five other groups: the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations, So Others Might Eat, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, the National Consumer Advisory Board and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.
In Memoriam: The National Coalition for the Homeless annually compiles a list of people who have died in homelessness during the year. The names are read at the vigil:
Tracey Acosta
Thomas Barns
Channon Billups
Albery Boyd
Andrew Brisbon
Fredrick Brockington
Michael Brooks
Chris Brown
Michael A. Brown
Ray Burton
Clifford H. Carle, Jr.
Charles Chambers
Ronald Chase
Kenneth Clements
John Coates
Margot Cole
Diane Curry
Leroy Cursey
Augustus (Auggie) DeGrazia
Robert Dockery
Jane Doe
Mike Edwards
Deac Ford
Martha Gilbert
Jose Guzman
Ketscla (KC) Hailu
Paula Hall
Michael Harmon
Luther “Sarge” Hill
Tyreatha Hill
Nelson Holston
Lynne Jackson
Phyllis Jackson
Curtis Jefferson
Eugene Jenkins
Donald Jones
Edna Lee Jones
Robert McDonald
Mia Means
Joe Morgan
Anthony Parker
Diane Payne
Donna Payne
Donald Payne
Ray Randolph
William Rapley
Solomon Reece
Johnny Reed
Melvin Riley
Rita Samuels
Kenneth Scott
Elijah Scriver
Ylice Spears
Richard Staton
Joseph Taylor
Asnakech Temsgen
Timothy Tharpe
Darnell Thornsbury
Eric Thorsteinsson
Spencer Tibbs Jr
Lorenzo Tinsley
Okechukwu Uzoigue
Don Vess
Lee Wells
Jerry Witcher
Radie Wright
Mekedes Zeleke
