Advocates recognize plight of homeless at Capitol event

December 21, the longest night of the year, is National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day. WSCH hosted its 2nd annual Homeless Persons' Memorial Day for Washington State on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 4 pm on the Capitol Steps in Olympia.

Ken Kraybill of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, and Craig Rennebom, a Mental Health Chaplain
(http://www.mentalhealthchaplain.org/), spoke at the service.

During the candlelight vigil over 130 names of everyone we knew of in our state who had died homeless or as a result of homelessness in the last year. Sadly, there are many more we don't know about.

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Homeless Persons’
Memorial Day

December 21, the longest night of the year, is National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day. WSCH hosted its 2nd annual Homeless Persons' Memorial Day for Washington State on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 4 pm on the Capitol Steps in Olympia.

Ken Kraybill of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, and Craig Rennebom, a Mental Health Chaplain
(http://www.mentalhealthchaplain.org/), spoke at the service.

During the candlelight vigil over 130 names of everyone we knew of in our state who had died homeless or as a result of homelessness in the last year. Sadly, there are many more we don't know about.

Published December 22, 2006

Advocates recognize plight of homeless at Capitol event
Matt Batcheldor/The Olympian
By Matt Batcheldor/The Olympian

OLYMPIA - One by one, Corine Knudsen and two others read the names of homeless people in Washington who died in the last year.

When they were finished, they had read 126 names. Eight were from Thurston County.

About 50 people joined them on the Capitol steps Thursday afternoon to observe National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day.

"We're here to celebrate the lives and mourn the deaths of 126 people in the state we know died in the last year," said Knudsen, executive director of the Washington Coalition for the Homeless. "Many of them died as a direct result of being homeless."

Knudsen said the names were culled from lists submitted by advocates across the state and from the King County Coroner's office.

This was the second annual observance of the day in Washington. The day, started by the National Coalition for the Homeless a number of years ago, was recognized this year in a written proclamation from Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Ken Kraybill, with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council of Nashville, Tenn., said grieving for the dead is only a beginning. Advocates must continue charitable efforts and work for justice to eliminate the causes of homelessness.

"Why is it that over 46 million Americans have no health insurance in order to access health care, putting many at risk for homelessness?" he said. "Why is it that the death rates for homeless persons are three times the rates of other Americans?"

Craig Rennebohm, a Seattle-based chaplain for the Mental Health Chaplaincy, told the story of a homeless man who froze to death because he could not arrange transportation to a hospital.

"Homelessness, my friends, is a matter of life and death," he said. "Homelessness will end when every person has the income and the support they need to survive and thrive."

Matt Batcheldor/The Olympian

By Matt Batcheldor/The Olympian

OLYMPIA - One by one, Corine Knudsen and two others read the names of homeless people in Washington who died in the last year.

When they were finished, they had read 126 names. Eight were from Thurston County.

About 50 people joined them on the Capitol steps Thursday afternoon to observe National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day.

"We're here to celebrate the lives and mourn the deaths of 126 people in the state we know died in the last year," said Knudsen, executive director of the Washington Coalition for the Homeless. "Many of them died as a direct result of being homeless."

Knudsen said the names were culled from lists submitted by advocates across the state and from the King County Coroner's office.

This was the second annual observance of the day in Washington. The day, started by the National Coalition for the Homeless a number of years ago, was recognized this year in a written proclamation from Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Ken Kraybill, with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council of Nashville, Tenn., said grieving for the dead is only a beginning. Advocates must continue charitable efforts and work for justice to eliminate the causes of homelessness.

"Why is it that over 46 million Americans have no health insurance in order to access health care, putting many at risk for homelessness?" he said. "Why is it that the death rates for homeless persons are three times the rates of other Americans?"

Craig Rennebohm, a Seattle-based chaplain for the Mental Health Chaplaincy, told the story of a homeless man who froze to death because he could not arrange transportation to a hospital.

"Homelessness, my friends, is a matter of life and death," he said. "Homelessness will end when every person has the income and the support they need to survive and thrive."