‘You’ll remember me.’ In Raleigh, a vigil to honor those who died while homeless
Aiden Kelly
Alaric Vines
Alexander Bond
Anthony Sellers
On the longest night of the year and official start of winter, the temperature dipped to 42 degrees at the start of the ceremony. Bare hands dug into jacket pockets, and the wind pricked uncovered faces. The night would get colder.
Bobby Stackhouse
Brandon Towe
Brian Edwards
Bruce Cooley
Bryan Newbern
About 30 people gathered in a semi-circle around three rows of luminaries, each small white bag filled with sand and a battery-operated tea light. There were cookies from A Place at the Table, and, later, coffee from the men’s homeless shelter.
Cameron Creedon
Caroline Bryant
Cecilia Peden
Charles Birch
Charles Mitchell
On each of the bags, written in black marker, was the name of someone who died in Wake County this year while homeless.
Seventy-five names.
Chris House
Crystal Hedgepath
Damarious McClain
Dawn Joyner
Demetra Yancey
Donzell Lewis
This memorial service had no coffin or urn. It was not taking place in a cemetery, but in the shadow of downtown Raleigh skyscrapers adorned in red and green Christmas lights. To the steady hum of cars and trucks on the nearby interstate. Under a clear sky and nearly full moon.
Douglas McGee
Durham Taylor
Elizabeth Dupre
Erik Fucaloro
Elected officials are here. The sheriff. Half of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. A Raleigh City Council member.
“All of these people were irreplaceable,” says Shinica Thomas, chair of the commissioners. “Each person was valuable. Each person was special. And each person deserves so much more.”
Gary Grazuties
Gary Grocholski
Grace Brandt
Gregory Porter
James Owensby
This memorial gathering may be the only recognition of the deaths of the 75 men and women.
“People die on the street when we as a community stop seeing people who are experiencing homelessness as people. As family. As friends. Neighbors,” says David Harris, director of Wake County’s homeless and prevention services division.
Jasper Lewis
John Stanley
John Wayne Ware
Johnny Banks
Johnny Hunt
On any given night, about 1,000 people in Wake County do not have a home. More than half stay on the street while others sleep in cars, on the couches of family and friends, in cheap hotels. About one-third are families with children.
Joshua Jacobs
Joshua Mckenzie
Juanita Proctor
Julian Edwards
Walter Morgan was once one of those people. Bundled up, he takes his turn at the microphone. Homeless at several points in Raleigh, he tells those assembled Thursday night that he often wondered what his purpose in life was.
“I joined the Marines because most of my friends that I was hanging with, either they were dying in the streets or going to jail,” he says. “I wanted to make something of myself.”
Junior Cruz
Krystal Talabi
Larry Bullock
Larry Redd
He got his GED in prison. He got his degree from Wake Technical Community College while staying at the South Wilmington Street Center homeless shelter. Now he lives in an affordable housing complex in downtown Raleigh where he is also one of the maintenance workers.
Leigh Ann Hammons
Lewis Crowder
Luther Carter
Marc Braswell
Mark Garrity
Mark McEachern
Drugs and alcohol addiction made Morgan homeless. The rules he learned to follow at the South Wilmington Street Center laid the foundation for a different life.
“I’m a firm believer that God is in control of everything,” he tells the group. “It’s only because of His grace and mercy that I am standing here tonight.”
Matthew Charles
Melissa Sealing
Michael Cox
Michael Nicholson
Natasha Gillespie
Nathan Adams
As the names of the people who died are read aloud, three men staying at the shelter now — Micah, Otis and John — walk to each little lantern and mark it with a small white flag.
Nathan Demyon
Nicholas Johnson
Paris Pully
Paul Ostrom
Phillip White
It takes six minutes for the names to be read. The crowd is silent. Some have linked arms and are leaning on one another. It’s difficult to know if the occasional sniff is from the cold December air or a small bubble-up of emotion.
Ravindran Chelvaratnam
Rebecca Ross
Richard Bryce
Ricky Lassiter
Ryan Fox
Memorial services like this are held annually on the winter solstice in cities and towns across the country. In Wake County, a wife-and-husband duo play guitar and sing the the late Eva Cassidy’s version of Sting’s “Fields of Gold.” It begins, “You’ll remember me ...”
Seth White
Shawn Stovall
Stephanie Marburger
Tammy Wade
Taurean Blackmon
Tony Williams
The memorial ends in a prayer.
“We ask you to continue to be with those that not only have gone on and their families, but Lord bless those that are still dealing with being unhoused in this county and our communities,” said the Rev. Wayne Wilhelm, pastor of Shepherd’s Flock Baptist Church. “Watch over them. Keep them protected.”
Amen.
Warren Faaied
Wayne Dye
William Blanks
William Finch
William Grantham
