Interfaith Vigil
November 1, 2007
SAN DIEGO RESCUE MISSION HOLDS 6TH ANNUAL CANDLELIGHT VIGILInterfaith Memorial Service for the 71 People Who Died While Homeless in Past Year
SAN DIEGO — An interfaith memorial service this evening honored the 71 people who died while homeless in our community in the past year. The 6th Annual Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by the San Diego Rescue Mission and held at the San Diego Community Concourse, included the reading of the names of those who have died and commemorated the names of the 466 people who have died while homeless in San Diego over the past six years.
“These children of God died alone, and we want them to receive the respect they are due,” said Herb Johnson, president and CEO of the San Diego Rescue Mission. “We use this memorial service to rededicate ourselves to serving people who still live on the streets, with the goal of not needing any more vigils.”
The event was attended by more than 135concerned members of the community, including homeless people who came to remember their fallen friends and comrades and clients of the Rescue Mission. Of the 71 who died this year, 67 were men and 4 were women. The average age was just 50 and the youngest homeless person who died was only32 years old.
The names of the dead were read by representatives of the InterFaith Shelter and First Presbyterian Church as well as other local community and religious leaders and homeless advocates, including Rosemary Johnston, Director Interfaith Shelter; Allen Randall, Director of Ladle Fellowship 1st Presbyterian Church; Bogar Hernandez, La Promesa College Avenue Baptist Church; Imam Sharif Battikhi, American Islamic Service Center; Father Peter Escalante, Saint Joseph’s Cathedral; and many others.
“We wish this vigil was not necessary, but it is important to raise the public’s awareness of our ongoing challenge to provide assistance to people in need and see that they don’t die alone on our city streets,” said Herb Johnson, president and CEO of the San Diego Rescue Mission.
In the past, official records often listed homeless men and women who died on the streets as “Jane Doe” or “John Doe.” Since the Rescue Mission began its candlelight vigil and memorial service six years ago, the Office of the Medical Examiner had been successful in identifying most of those who died homeless.