Tuesday afternoon — Dec. 21 — at 4:30 pm, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania (VOAPA) will again host the annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial.
As always, the entire community is invited to be there, but not many will show up for this special event on the longest night of the year to observe National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day and honor members of our local homeless community whom we have lost over the years.
Bill Jones, president and chief executive 0fficer of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, is the keynote speaker.
“The cold weather is a harsh reality that unsheltered people face in the northeast — it is detrimental to their health and their lives,” said Crystal Kotlowski, NEPA Director at VOAPA. “This is a special night when we take time to remember the people we have lost and honor their memory.”
• According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the average life expectancy of a person experiencing homelessness is about two decades less than the general population.
• Current NIH research also sites homelessness as a public health concern. According to the CDC, homelessness is associated with greater risks of infectious and chronic illness, chronic medical conditions, co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, and victimization.
• There are over 553,000 people experiencing homelessness on a given night in the US, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
At this time of the year, many people think about the holidays and what Santa might bring. They wonder what they will receive and contemplate what to get loved ones.
These days, we should also think about those who have never seen Santa — who never receive beautifully wrapped gifts.
And always at this time of the year, I think of Jim Sobieski, a former homeless man who died in April, 2013. I got to know Jim through his volunteer work with REACH, a drop-in center for the homeless, and the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen. He was a tireless worker who sincerely cared about his fellow human beings.
I remember Jim telling me about his work at the kitchen. I had asked him what exactly he did — his answer still rings in my head and my heart.
Jim told me he scrubbed pots and pans at the kitchen because he wanted to be sure they were clean before they were used for the next day’s meal. He also helped serving and cleaning up, but scrubbing those pots and pans was at the top of his agenda every day.
Jim took the time to clean those pots and pans because he knew just about every homeless person in town. He knew them, he talked to them, he tried to counsel them the best he could. He wanted to offer his experiences to help others get back on their feet.
What Jim couldn’t give from his pocketbook, he gave from his heart.
The year he passed, I was asked to speak at the annual Homeless Persons Memorial Service. I talked about Jim and his dedication. I talked about his unrecognized devotion to his fellow human beings. I talked about how Jim was virtually anonymous in the community, yet he had an incredible and immeasurable positive impact on many.
As you walk along Public Square, South Main Street or near the Susquehanna River, you can see the homeless. Some of them live in makeshift tents, while others seek shelter in abandoned buildings.
Many homeless drink too much. Many do drugs. Many have no motivation to better themselves.
They need help. They need a community to care enough to do all it can to help them — to show it sincerely cares.
Far more needs to be done.
As in the past, Tuesday’s service will be, followed by a candlelight vigil/necrology.
The homeless who have passed have certainly been forgotten by most of the greater Wyoming Valley community.
The reality is they were forgotten long before they passed away.
And that is our biggest failure of all.