Registry to Remember Lost Homeless
26 March 2014 at 3:00 pm
A collaboration of homeless support organisations based in Melbourne has formed a permanent registry of the homeless people who have died while living rough.
The registry coincides with the launch of the annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service held in Melbourne to commemorate the lives of members of the Victorian community who have died while experiencing homelessness.
The Homeless Persons’ Memorial is a collaborative between leading support organisations, including Anglicare Victoria, Council to Homeless Persons, Doutta Galla, Melbourne City Council, Lazarus Centre, St Peters Eastern Hill, Youth Projects and Justice Connect Homeless Law.
About 40 names have so far been added to the permanent register, which will be based at the State Library of Victoria. Any other names will be added by the agencies that work with the homeless.
“Our aim is to remember those who have died for reasons that have been related to or compounded by homelessness,” Lucy Adams, Manager and Principal Lawyer of Justice Connect Homeless Law said.
“These are members of our community and they deserve to be acknowledged and remembered.
“Countless Melburnians who are homeless have died before their time. Some have been noticed publicly because of the particularly awful circumstances of their passing, but many others remain unknown.
“Each death has been a loss and has had an impact on those that knew them, their friends, family, and support workers. We hope that many in our wider community join us to remember these people and to send a message to everyone that homeless members of our community are not invisible.
“Homelessness in Melbourne exists and we need to do everything we can to prevent it. We need to work together for a future without homelessness.”
There will be an opportunity for people to write messages to commemorate those lost as part of a permanent record kept in the State Library of Victoria.
