Ceremony honors 2007's homeless victims

Richard Trudeau places a flower in a wreath to honor Danny, a bridgeport homeless man who died in 2007. Southwest Community Health Center and Homes for the Brave held a National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day ceremony in Bridgeport. (B.K. Angeletti/For the Connecticut Post )

Ceremony honors 2007's homeless victims
LINDA CONNER LAMBECK lclambeck@ctpost.com


BRIDGEPORT — Braving Friday's cold weather, the way the homeless do every day, about 100 people huddled in front of Homes for the Brave to remember homeless people who died in the city during 2007.

They remembered Daniel, Jeffrey, John and Joseph. Also Tom, Mack, John P. and Bill.

As the names were called, red, white and blue carnations were placed in a wreath.

A military honor guard, flags snapping in the wind, stood at attention in front of the shelter for homeless veterans at 655 Park Ave. Taps was played.

The noon ceremony drew about 100 dignitaries, military and the public. Hosted by Homes for the Brave and the Southwest Community Health Center, the program also was an opportunity to distribute free coats and to educate.

Of the nation's estimated 3.5 million homeless, as many as one in four are veterans, said Rich DeNisco, coordinator of health care for homeless at the health center. It's believed there are 33,000 people in Connecticut with no place to live. The last time a homeless census was done in Bridgeport, the number reached 1,400. DeNisco thinks that count was low.

This is the third year that National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day was observed locally, a date traditionally observed on or close to the first day of winter, which this year is today.
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