HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY

HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY On December 20, Philadelphians came together to honor the 270 people who died on the streets in 2018. Homeless Memorial Day is an annual event that commemorates those who passed due to homelessness and calls for solutions, so no one in America has to live or die on the streets. For the past 23 years, advocates, friends, and family have joined together to recognize those who have lost their lives while homeless or due to their experience with homelessness in Philadelphia. This year’s memorial included reflections by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, nonprofit leaders, and friends of the deceased. “This vigil serves as both a solemn occasion for honoring the lives we have lost, and a stark reminder of the sheer injustice of homelessness. A reminder that none of us will ever be whole until homelessness is eradicated once and for all. The vigil serves as a unique opportunity to stand in communion with one another and recommit to never, ever accepting homelessness as a problem that can’t be solved, [but] to instead remember that homelessness is a social problem that MUST be solved,” said Brooke Feldman, an advocate for recovery, the President of Sparking Solutions LLC, and a Board Member of Angels in Motion. Hundreds of people gathered at the Arch Street United Methodist Church for the candle-lit ceremony, and remembrance as each of the 270 names of people we lost were read aloud. Good Shepherd House Choir opened the evening with Barry Martin’s “Celebrate My Life” followed by the Veterans Multi-Service Center’s Retiring of the Colors. The people we honor tonight,

270 PEOPLE DIED ON OUR STREETS IN 2018 Brooke said, “paid the ultimate price for a societal shortcoming.” Homeless Memorial Day is held in over 150 localities across the United States on or near the first day of winter — together we join as a nation to call for an end to homelessness. One Step Away partnered with street papers across the United States to remember and advocate for the lives we have lost. “For too many, this will be the only memorial service they will have,” said John Parvensky, president and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “Tonight we remember them, we remember them all.” HOMELESS STATISTICS In 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that the number of people experiencing homelessness had increased for the first time in seven years. A December study funded by the real estate company Zillow estimated that HUD under counted the 2017 homeless population by 20 percent, or 115,000 people. Days before this year’s Homeless Memorial date, HUD released its 2018 data, reporting a modest increase in homelessness for the second year in a row. Based on the HUD data, roughly 1 in every 591 Americans experiences homelessness. In Philadelphia, every year an estimated 15,000 people —adults and children — utilize our City’s homeless system. With a total occupancy of 11,030 available beds, according to the Office of Homeless Services, many people are turned away from shelter due to capacity. Philadelphia’s 2018 Point-in-Time count (a one night count in January) reported 5,788 individuals

experiencing homelessness of whom 1,083 people were unsheltered or on the streets. Liz Hersh, Director of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services said: “This City works hard to keep people experiencing homelessness alive. In 2018, we sheltered nearly 9,000 people and provided permanent housing for nearly 6,000. Thanks to Mayor Kenney’s leadership, we have added hundreds of new shelter and long-term places for people. But we have to do more, all of us together, to end homelessness in Philadelphia. The Homeless Memorial reminds us of the terrible price that is paid when we fall short. It is our continued call to action.”

MORTALITY RATES AND HOMELESSNESS

Philadelphia’s Homeless Death Review Team (HDRT) began in 2009 with the goal of reducing the number of preventable homeless deaths and improving the health and wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness. According to HDRT, the average age of death for a person experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia is 49 years versus the 79 years a housed American lives. Mortality among the homeless population is increased by four to nine times, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), due to unique challenges such as chronic illness, infections, violence, poor mental health, and substance abuse. These types of poor health outcomes are often related to lack of access to stable housing, nutritious foods, transportation, employment, access to quality health care serves and treatment, and health insurance. In Chicago, Maxica Williams, a single mother with four children was homeless from January to August 2016 because of breast cancer. Homelessness can cause mental and physical illness because a person becomes isolated, loses dignity, and feels they have nowhere to go, said Maxica. Now a representative for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, she urged the congregation to keep fighting to bridge the gaps in services, “to always see the person, not the situation they’re in.” She continued, “housing is a human right,” which helps a homeless person’s dignity and excitement for life.

HOW TO HELP

Urge your elected officials to protect housing funding. Volunteer: On January 23 – 24 (10:30pm4am) the City of Philadelphia and partners are leading volunteers across Philadelphia to count and survey people living on the streets. Volunteers are vital to this effort. Learn more or register on Project HOME’s website or at bit.ly/PH_PIT2018. The deadline for registration is January 16. If you see someone who is homeless and needs assistance you can call the Philadelphia Homeless Hotline at 215-232-1984. Finally, pay attention to “Code Blues”. A Code Blue is enacted during extremely cold conditions, when temperatures feel near or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. During a Code Blue, the City takes special measures to keep people who are homeless safe. These measures include: • 24-hour outreach to find people who are homeless and transport them to safe indoor spaces. • Opening all available beds within the emergency housing network. • Allowing homeless people to stay inside emergency housing throughout the day.

Airman First Class Brian Webb Airman Thomas Quick Albert D. Accooe Alexander Ortiz Andrew H. Nichols Angela McClain Anne Marie RicciutiOueslati Anthony Hill Anthony M. Barkley Anthony Messina Anthony Washington

Barry L. Brown Bernard Carter Bertram Carlos Roberts Bill Heinemann Bradley G. Haas Brainerd Maynerd Bryheem S. Spruill

Carl Anthony Cornelius Carl Callahan Carl Hagins Carl Thompson Carmela Wright Carolyn Coleman Casey Berririan Cecelia A. Autrey Charles Crawford Charles Hall Christopher Eric Williams Christopher George Wentz Clifton Rich Cora Jacobs Cynthia Minnick

Daniel "Danny" Riley Daniel Feliciano Daniel Maldonado Darlene C. Clark Darren Young David B. Abshire David Green Debbie Adams Derrick Benner Dewey Flynn Donald Alfred Patete Jr. Dwight Johnson

Elbert Green Enrico "Eni" Stanziana Erma Armstrong Eugenio Aviles Floyd Custalow Frank aka Walter G.L. G.M. G.N. G.R. G.S. Gary Miller Genevieve Hall Gerald "Jerry" Suran Gloria DeJesusReed

H.B. H.S. Harlona Freeman Harry Harris Helen Brown Howard Lance "Country" Campbell

J.A. J.A. J.B. J.C. J.C. J.F. J.G. J.G. J.H. J.J. J.K. J.M. J.Q. J.R. J.W. K.B. K.C. K.E. K.W. Karen Strickland Ken Whiters Kenneth French Jr. Kenneth McDonough Kevin Rivera

M.A. M.B. M.C. M.C. M.D. M.F. M.G. M.G. M.L. M.M. M.M. M.N. M.P. M.T. M.T. M.T. Lance Corporal M.W. Darry Sherman Lance Darnell Thomas Sr. Laurence Buckley Leon R. Mayo Jr. Linda An Lori DiLaurentis Luella Dunn

I.E. Irene Catanio James David Harley James Giberson James Taylor Jr. Jamie Darnelle Robinson Jeanette Taylor Jeff Carter Jeremiah Kirkland Jerminda Cox Jerome Ballard Jerome Cheatham Jessica Ney Jesus Torres Jimmy Jones John "Johnny" Stevenson John Lenox John Swenson John Townsley John William Dinwiddie Jordan David Fennimore Jorge Bautista Espinoza Joseph Maultsby Juanita Patterson L.B. L.C. L.H. L.H. L.V. N.P. N.T. O.C. Mark Brooks Mark P. Humphries Marlyn Davis Mauricio Rivero Melanie Neide Melvin Coe Mercy Balado-Falcon Michael Graham Michael Rooney Michael Sullivan Michelle Estey Michelle McFarland Milissa Grafenstine Muwatta Muhammad

Naamon Brownlee Nathaniel Davenport

P.D. P.G. P.M. P.W. Patricia Snyder Paul Wilson Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Paul Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Telenko Phyllis Copeland Private First Class Gregory Scott Bryon Private First Class Joshua Edwards Private Vernon Delhart R.B. R.E. R.G. R.H. R.L. R.M. R.M. R.R.

S.C. S.H. S.K. S.P. S.R. S.W.

T.A. T.B. T.E. T.G. T.J. T.S. Ralph O'Brien Rashein Derrick Wilkes Regina Flynn Rhiannon Elisa Broderick Robert Belcher Robert Buska Robert Goosby Robert Pownall Robert Wolanski Roberta Baker Robin Collins Robin Marsh Rodney Banks Ron Floyd Sr. Rufus "Rudy" Jones Samuel Centeno Samuel Scott Sabatino Jr. Shawn Kane Sherry Bevan Specialist Shawn Canderas Sylvester Woods Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Veronica Bethea Victor Serrano Vincent Griffin W.O. W.R. W.R. W.S. Walter Glowatsky Walter Gursky William Bell William Cornell Heard William Green William Paul Dailey III William Wilson Y.M. Yoliswa Beatrice Barber

Tanya Stevens Terrance Andrews Thaddeus Robinson Jr. Thomas Allan Papineau Thomas Lewis Thomas Muhammad Young Timothy Wayne Morris