Thursday, December 21
Downtown Womens Center Today was a special day . Being the longest day of the winter , the 21st of December, the annual homeless memorial was held in San Julian Park. It is always good to have the representatives of the many social service providers and residents read off the names of those who have passed away this year. It brings us together and reminds us of how precious our lives are.
But holiday wreaths and sprigs of greenery were decorated with photos and names of the dead. And Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reminded those present that the holiday season represents an opportunity for everyone to examine how society is helping the homeless.
"A real community," Villaraigosa said, "has an obligation, a responsibility to one another…. We give these people the honor of saying, your life meant something. You are a human being, a child of God. You are no longer anonymous, faceless."
The people of skid row have been gathering since 1993 on Dec. 21 — the day with the least hours of sunlight a year — to honor their dead. The occasion, said SRO Housing Corp. Executive Director Anita U. Nelson, is part of a national event to memorialize homeless and low-income people.
She said the event served as "our way of bringing our community together."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Today , Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles was here and he spoke eloquently in both english and spanish . At first making sure all know that Jan Perry could not be here today and that she was with us in spirit. He said we are responsible to each other and he also said we matter and that we are human beings . Thank you
Mayor Antonio VIllaraigosa , award winning SRO Tenant Librada Porter, and me
Antonio Villaraigosa for reminding this great city that we are all human beings. You know, sitting there, in the park , surrounded by those wreaths with people's names on them and listening to the names as they are read off ,always remind me how delicate my health is and how important SRO Housing Corporation is to me because this might be the last place I will ever live. I said might be. And that is ok , because I have a place to live in dignity and also a place where I can make myself busy as I work on many community projects in my own time and on my terms. But I know that it is because of the grace of god that I am here.
Mayor Antonio VIllaraigosa , award winning SRO Tenant Librada Porter, and meMay my neighbors who have succumb to personal health issues and or the fight with the demons of drugs and addiction rest in peace.
One of the most touching gestures at the memorial was the placing of a program for a memorial which was held for officer Joseph's mother last month. Apparently , residents of skid row- homeless and those living in housing , were want to remember her , I guess because she gave us someone special to to watch over us here and work on bettering the neighborhood : her son.. officer Joseph.
