Homeless man's death adds heartbreak to Gaston's Homeless Memorial Day

Kara Fohner, The Gaston Gazette
·2 min read
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Jimmy Harris survived for 22 years in prison. He lasted a year on the streets of Gaston County.

Harris, 65, was declared brain-dead on Dec. 20, said his daughter, Shirley Henderson. His homelessness had exacerbated his health problems, and he had a heart attack.

Shirley Henderson, who's homeless father was homeless, wipes tears from her eyes during a a National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day Service held Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022, at First United Methodist Church in Gastonia.
Shirley Henderson, who's homeless father was homeless, wipes tears from her eyes during a a National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day Service held Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022, at First United Methodist Church in Gastonia.

"They had gave him housing for a little while, but then he wanted to be close to the only family he had, which was me. So he came to Gaston County and I couldn't help him because I'm a disabled mom," Henderson said. "So I reached out to DSS to try to get him help, and there literally is no program for someone who's not a veteran or someone who's not addicted to drugs and my father wasn't either of those things, so there was nothing there for him."

On Wednesday, Dec. 21, Henderson came to a walk and memorial service intended to raise awareness about homelessness in Gaston County. The service, she said, was meaningful, especially since she was scheduled to go to CaroMont Regional Medical Center at 3 p.m. to say goodbye to her father. At 4 p.m., she said, the hospital would harvest his organs for donation.

"That'll be the last time I see his body," Henderson said.

Jimmy Harris
Jimmy Harris

From there, she has to figure out where and how to have him buried or cremated.

"So we're trying to look into options for that," Henderson said.

Henderson herself became homeless at the age of 14, she said, so she knows what her father was experiencing.

"I wanted to help him so bad, but he wouldn't allow me to help him because he felt I was infringing on his freedom," she said.

Gastonia City Councilman Robert Kellogg, who is part of the Gaston-Lincoln-Cleveland Continuum of Care, which organized the memorial, said that it is difficult to get an accurate count of people who die from homelessness every year in Gaston County.

A group of people led by Salvation Army Maj. David Phelps walk along East Main Avenue as a walk of visibility and solidarity for people experiencing homelessness Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022.
A group of people led by Salvation Army Maj. David Phelps walk along East Main Avenue as a walk of visibility and solidarity for people experiencing homelessness Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022.

Still, he said, he thinks the numbers are rising.

He said that people living without shelter right now are experiencing "the perfect storm" of circumstances. Inflation and rising rental prices have left many with no options.

"Individuals who were on the edge are now over the edge and falling through the cracks," he said.

When people have to figure out where to eat and sleep each day, "there's not a whole lot of time to try to figure out how to get out of homelessness."

Shaaron Funderburk, with Off The Streets Ministries, talks about suffering loss during a a National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day Service held Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022, at First United Methodist Church in Gastonia.
Shaaron Funderburk, with Off The Streets Ministries, talks about suffering loss during a a National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day Service held Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022, at First United Methodist Church in Gastonia.

He said that the walk and service are intended to demonstrate that local community leaders care that people are suffering.

"I hope that people see that and people know that," he said.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston homeless man's death brings Homeless Memorial Day home