The holiday season is most commonly a time to give thanks for all that you have, to celebrate the year’s end, and to usher in new beginnings with family and friends. But for those who are unhoused, the winter season brings dangerous, frigid temperatures that only exacerbate the challenges of living without a home.
This is also the time of year that the unhoused community comes together to mourn the lives lost over the past year. This past year, 90 individuals in DC died while experiencing homelessness. While the specific causes of death for members of this community vary, what is certain is that homelessness takes its toll on our neighbors, threatens their health and well-being, and sadly, shortens or even takes their lives.
Even after being housed, many of our guests succumb to years of untreated health challenges experienced while living outdoors. This is why we use this time of year to honor those we’ve lost; but to also remain intentional about advocating for better resources for those still working toward achieving a safe place to call home. We do this by calling for a change to systems that create countless barriers for individuals with vouchers waiting to secure a home; and systems that disproportionately affect people of color – causing 74% of the year’s deaths to occur among Black unhoused citizens.
This is why it is important to all of us at Miriam’s Kitchen to take part in the People for Fairness Coalition’s (PFFC) annual memorial and vigil dedicated to individuals who lost their lives while being unhoused. This year, we will gather to remember the 90 people who died while unhoused, and the 138 people in our community who were fortunate enough to obtain housing in recent years, but who died in 2023.
Please join us this Wednesday, December 20 at 4 p.m. ET as we gather at Luther Place Memorial Church to pay respect to those who have died before they could achieve the dignity of having a safe place to call home. We’ll also convene on Thursday, December 21 at 12:45 p.m. ET for a memorial service at the Church of the Epiphany. Please see below for complete details. We hope to see you there.
