KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Memorial Service Remembers Homeless
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by Alana Rocha
Homeless advocates are calling Thursday morning's death the eighth homeless death of the year. Thursday night people gathered to remember those who lost their lives on Wichita's streets.
The event was set up by Advocates for Ending Chronic Homelessness. Pastors from downtown congregations who work with the homeless read short passages about each of the people who died. Only one of the eight who passed away had family speak on their behalf.
Gina Wilson attended the memorial. She says, "If we don't get out here and memorialize the ones that we love who have been here and done this then what were their lives about?"
Early Thursday morning, police found a man's body under a sleeping bag in a North Broadway alley.
Sandy Swank, with Interfaith Ministries says, "We had a lot of people coming to the inn looking for shelter. We're, of course, full at this time. I'm hoping it wasn't somebody that couldn't find shelter."
On any given night Interfaith Ministries tells us 750 people are on the streets in Wichita.
Advocates held the memorial Thursday night because it's the first official day of winter, the longest night of the year.
