Mayor, City Council Dedicate December 21 Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day

December 10, 2010                                        

Contact:  Adam Schneider – 410/215-8319 or 443/703-1398

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor, City Council Dedicate December 21 Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day

BALTIMORE - In its last full meeting of 2010, the Baltimore City Council voted unanimously to dedicate December 21 as Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day in Baltimore City.  The resolution, which was introduced by Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, notes that Baltimore City will join with other communities across the country on “the first day of winter and the longest night of the year to remember those who have died without a secure place to live and to recommit to the urgent task of ending the conditions that create homelessness.”

Baltimore Mayor Rawlings-Blake also proclaimed the 21^st of December as a “day of remembrance for those who have lived and died in our shelters, on our streets, and other places not fit for human dwelling.”  Her statement recognizes that people experiencing homelessness have higher rates of chronic disease, are more susceptible to illness and injury, and are more likely to die prematurely than their housed counterparts.

“Life on the streets quickly can turn to death on the streets, said Jeff Singer, President and CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., one of the agencies organizing the local commemoration.  “Only by putting an end to homelessness itself can we stop the untimely deaths of our homeless neighbors.  We welcome the resolution of our elected officials to work for a future without homelessness.”

A public memorial service is planned for 5:30pm on December 21 at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor’s Amphitheater (at the corner of Pratt and Light Streets).  The service is organized by members of SHARP, a coalition of homeless service providers and advocates working to Stop Homelessness And Reduce Poverty.  According to the Mayoral and City Council resolutions, “at least 35,000 people in Baltimore City – a small fraction of the estimated 3.5 million across the country – find themselves without a secure place to stay.”

For additional information, contact Adam Schneider at 410/215-8319 or aschneider@hchmd.org.