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

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-12-18 13:29:00 UTC
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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.

Cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hyannis, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. are among the 130 communities across the country that will have planned a memorial event this year. Some communities will process through the streets. Others will host candlelight vigils. Some will take advantage of the opportunity to collect donations - like winter hats, gloves, and scarves - for people who are still living on the streets. Others will rally for an end to homelessness. Still others will share memories of those who died.

Even if there isn't a homeless memorial event happening in your community, I urge you to do something on January 21st in honor of a homeless person who died this year.

Resolve to volunteer in 2010 in honor of the 6-month-old baby girl who died of sudden infant death syndrome. A Minneapolis homeless shelter was the only home she ever knew.

Take 15 minutes to educate yourself about the real causes of homelessness in memory of Michael Palm, who was stabbed to death in his car where he'd been living while working as a cab driver.

Make a gift to your local shelter in memory of Tyrone Hicks, who moved to Minneapolis "with bullets still stuck in his body" to escape violence in Chicago.

Most importantly, as we memorialize those who died on the streets, in shelters, and in cars this year, let us all think about what it will take to prevent homeless deaths in 2010. The best way to memorialize those who died without a home in 2009 is to do whatever it takes to prevent similar deaths in 2010.

Image: Minneapolis Public News

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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