With his gap-tooth smile, hip-hop routines and volunteer work for a food charity, Roosevelt White III was well-known in the downtown Phoenix tent city known as The Zone.
But like many homeless people, White suffered from diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He died unexpectedly one sweltering September day at age 36.
Thousands of people like White who died this year without a permanent home are being memorialized on Thursday in communities from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Riverside, California.
Established in 1990, the increasingly popular Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is observed with prayers, candles, moments of silence and the reading of names on Dec. 21, the first day of winter and the longest night of the year.
A national gathering called “One Life, Too Many. Another Year, Too Long” is planned for Thursday afternoon in Washington, with a Zoom call so people can follow from afar.
Other gatherings will be in Cincinnati, Ohio; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Diego. A ceremony in Phoenix will honor 758 homeless people confirmed to have died so far this year in Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona and home to Phoenix, the state’s largest city.
That’s already a record. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner investigated 732 deaths of homeless people in 2022, representing a 42% jump in deaths from 2021.
“Without sufficient housing and services, people will continue to die on the streets,” said Lisa Glow, CEO at Central Arizona Shelter Services, which operates the state’s largest emergency shelter, a 600-bed facility in Phoenix.
DeBorah Gilbert White, the public education director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, said learning about those who died can shatter stereotypes. At one event several years ago, she learned of a 3-year-old homeless girl who died in the nation’s capital.
White said that as the population grows older, more people are dying in their 60s. She noted that many with chronic conditions like diabetes don’t have the necessary conditions, such as refrigeration for insulin, to care for their health.
Overall, homelessness is surging. The recent Annual Homeless Assessment Report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that roughly 653,100 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness. That’s a 12% overall increase over the previous year and the highest since reporting began in 2007.
“A lot of people living in encampments are uninsured and without access to medical treatment for a variety of illnesses that are exacerbated by living unsheltered,” said Etel Haxhiaj, a spokesperson for the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council.
The council supports remembrance events to push for better tracking of the deaths.
Maricopa County is among the few U.S. jurisdictions engaged in such tracking.
Drug and alcohol abuse played a role in many of the deaths and was often the main cause. While a stroke killed White, methamphetamine intoxication contributed to his death, according to the medical examiner. Cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks, followed by traffic injuries, are also common ways that homeless people die.
Among the mourners was Phoenix documentary photographer Eric Elmore, who created numerous black and white portraits of White over a year. The downtown encampment where White lived once housed hundreds of people in tents, but it has since been cleared out under a court order.
“He had this kind of energy that would just draw you in,” Elmore said of White. “He had a huge personality.”
Megan Kepler, who volunteered with White, remembered him on Wednesday as “a man who was full of kindness and joy.”
“Although he had many struggles, he always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. He stayed hopeful in the face of difficulties,” Kepler said. “We miss our friend dearly, and hope that others can see that he was not just a number, but instead a valued and loved human being.”
With his gap-tooth smile, hip-hop routines and volunteer work for a food charity, Roosevelt White III was well-known in the downtown Phoenix tent city known as The Zone.
But like many homeless people, White suffered from diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He died unexpectedly one sweltering September day at age 36.
Thousands of people like White who died this year without a permanent home are being memorialized on Thursday in communities from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Riverside, California.
Established in 1990, the increasingly popular Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is observed with prayers, candles, moments of silence and the reading of names on Dec. 21, the first day of winter and the longest night of the year.
A national gathering called “One Life, Too Many. Another Year, Too Long” is planned for Thursday afternoon in Washington, with a Zoom call so people can follow from afar.
Other gatherings will be in Cincinnati, Ohio; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Diego. A ceremony in Phoenix will honor 758 homeless people confirmed to have died so far this year in Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona and home to Phoenix, the state’s largest city.
That’s already a record. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner investigated 732 deaths of homeless people in 2022, representing a 42% jump in deaths from 2021.
“Without sufficient housing and services, people will continue to die on the streets,” said Lisa Glow, CEO at Central Arizona Shelter Services, which operates the state’s largest emergency shelter, a 600-bed facility in Phoenix.
DeBorah Gilbert White, the public education director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, said learning about those who died can shatter stereotypes. At one event several years ago, she learned of a 3-year-old homeless girl who died in the nation’s capital.
White said that as the population grows older, more people are dying in their 60s. She noted that many with chronic conditions like diabetes don’t have the necessary conditions, such as refrigeration for insulin, to care for their health.
Overall, homelessness is surging. The recent Annual Homeless Assessment Report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that roughly 653,100 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness. That’s a 12% overall increase over the previous year and the highest since reporting began in 2007.
“A lot of people living in encampments are uninsured and without access to medical treatment for a variety of illnesses that are exacerbated by living unsheltered,” said Etel Haxhiaj, a spokesperson for the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council.
The council supports remembrance events to push for better tracking of the deaths.
Maricopa County is among the few U.S. jurisdictions engaged in such tracking.
Drug and alcohol abuse played a role in many of the deaths and was often the main cause. While a stroke killed White, methamphetamine intoxication contributed to his death, according to the medical examiner. Cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks, followed by traffic injuries, are also common ways that homeless people die.
Among the mourners was Phoenix documentary photographer Eric Elmore, who created numerous black and white portraits of White over a year. The downtown encampment where White lived once housed hundreds of people in tents, but it has since been cleared out under a court order.
“He had this kind of energy that would just draw you in,” Elmore said of White. “He had a huge personality.”
Megan Kepler, who volunteered with White, remembered him on Wednesday as “a man who was full of kindness and joy.”
“Although he had many struggles, he always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. He stayed hopeful in the face of difficulties,” Kepler said. “We miss our friend dearly, and hope that others can see that he was not just a number, but instead a valued and loved human being.”
On December 21, communities across the United States held memorial services to remember the thousands of homeless people who died this year without a permanent home. Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, established in 1990, is observed on the first day of winter, which is the longest night of the year. The day is marked with prayers, moments of silence, candle lighting, and the reading of names. This year, a national gathering called “One Life, Too Many. Another Year, Too Long” took place in Washington, D.C., with a Zoom call for remote participation. Other memorial gatherings occurred in cities such as Cincinnati, Wilmington, and San Diego.
In Phoenix, a ceremony honored the 758 homeless individuals who have died so far this year in Maricopa County, Arizona, the state’s most populous county. This record-breaking number represents a 42% increase in deaths compared to the previous year. The rise in deaths is attributed to the lack of sufficient housing and services for homeless individuals. Lisa Glow, CEO at Central Arizona Shelter Services, emphasized the urgency for better support, stating that people will continue to die on the streets without adequate provisions.
The memorial events shed light on the diverse range of people affected by homelessness and challenge stereotypes. DeBorah Gilbert White, the public education director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, shared the story of a 3-year-old homeless girl who died in Washington, D.C., highlighting the vulnerability of homeless children. Additionally, as the homeless population ages, more individuals in their 60s are dying due to chronic health conditions, exacerbated by a lack of access to proper care and resources.
These tragic deaths occur within the context of a surge in homelessness across the country. According to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, approximately 653,100 people in the United States experienced homelessness, marking a 12% increase from the previous year and the highest number since reporting began in 2007. Homeless individuals often face barriers to medical treatment, with many living in encampments lacking health insurance and necessary care for their illnesses.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office is one of the few jurisdictions in the U.S. actively tracking homeless deaths. The data shows that drug and alcohol abuse are significant factors in many deaths, with strokes, heart attacks, and traffic injuries also being common causes of death among the homeless population.
The article also mentions the personal stories of Roosevelt White III, a well-known resident of the downtown Phoenix tent city who died unexpectedly at the age of 36, and the efforts of documentary photographer Eric Elmore, who captured White’s life through black and white portraits. White was remembered by his friends and volunteers as a kind and joyful individual who remained hopeful despite his struggles.
In summary, the memorial events on Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day serve as a sobering reminder of the growing homelessness crisis in the United States and the urgent need for better support systems and resources for homeless individuals.
