Homeless Memorial Day draws crowd to Dilworth Park
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
A roll call of the names of 149 homeless people who died this year.
A memorial ceremony of sadness tinged with hope was held tonight at Dilworth Park as a way to remember the homeless who have died this year and to re-energize those who fight for more units of affordable housing.
A few hundred people gathered in a ring outside of City Hall for a Homeless Memorial Day ceremony punctuated by a roll call of the names of 149 people on the streets who died this year.
Sister Mary Scullion, a tireless advocate for those without a roof over their heads, alluded to the time of year, the Christmas season, and told the crowd that “the men and women on our streets are the face of Jesus.”
She described the vigil on the plaza, where some raised placards with the names of those who had died and others held small, battery-operated candles, as a “a sad gathering and also a gathering of hope.”
“We will and can end homelessness,” she promised.
More than 20 organizations, especially Project Home, came together to sponsor the event. A statement released beforehand said the supporters would include advocates, service providers, homeless and formerly homeless people, religious leaders and everyday citizens.
Homeless Memorial Day is commemorated in more than 150 places across the country.
In Philadelpia, there were 5,738 homeless persons, including those in shelters and on the street, who were acounted in the January 2014 Point in Time census.
