A Homeless Fire Victim's Last Day Alive

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-12-19 15:56:00 UTC
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This weekend, a nor'easter is slamming the east coast and painting it white. For most people, a foot of snow and ice means shoveling out a car or stocking up on bread and milk. But for others, it's a matter of life or death.

I came across this video today in the Vancouver Sun. It's a brief documentary in two parts by Vancouver filmmaker Kristy Matthews. She was collecting footage for a new city homeless emergency initiative. She saw a homeless woman named Dawn Amanda Bergman carefully laying blankets over her metal cart, creating her shelter for the night. The weather was freezing and Bergman was barefoot.

It turned out that the day Matthews filmed Bergman would be her last day alive. Her cart caught fire from the candles she was using to try and stay warm.

The story is deeply disturbing and powerfully communicated through this video. It is a stark reminder of just how deadly the cold weather can be for those without a home.

Watch the video here.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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