40th annual Homeless Memorial March in Minneapolis persists through freezing temperatures

Meg Mannix was emotional Thursday night as she held up a sign honoring a man she knew who died while homeless as she walked on the outskirts of downtown Minneapolis as part of the 40th annual Homeless Memorial March.

“This is important because they matter; they weren’t nameless,” Mannix said. “This event helps give them the same dignity that we all deserve.”

She joined about 180 people who participated in the march and service, which each year consists of walking through Minneapolis with marchers holding up signs showing the names of every Minnesotan who died while either being homeless or previously homeless. The demonstration also honors advocates who passed. The event is a way to provide a memorial to people who otherwise may have had no formal sendoff.

This past year there were 119 Minnesotans who died while homeless, 124 who died while previously homeless and 23 advocates who passed, according to Simpson Housing Services, which provides shelter and support services. The march was organized by Simpson Housing and the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless.

After starting at Plymouth Congregational Church, the crowd walked northwest on Groveland Avenue and circled around Loring Park before going into downtown and then heading back towards the church. Over the 40 years of marches, Simpson has honored 4,171 who died while homeless.

This year saw a decrease in the number of reported deaths of people who were homeless, but an increase in the number of people who died while formerly homeless, according to Simpson’s statistics.

The turnout Thursday was slightly smaller than the crowd in the past two years, most likely due to the single-digit weather. Steve Horsfield, Simpson Housing’s executive director, said this year’s march was especially poignant because it occurred during such cold weather. Horsfield and marchers said they weren’t dissuaded by the cold because they realize it’s something unsheltered homeless people have to deal with on a constant basis.

“They don’t get to choose on what days they walk,” Horsfield said in an interview. “They’ve got to make that walk every day.”

After returning to the church from the march, attendees took turns placing their signs with the names of people who died at the altar with hundreds of candles. They listened while speakers including Rev. DeWayne Davis, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Simpson program manager Mary Gallini and others. Gov. Tim Walz did not attend, but Flanagan attended on his behalf to present an official proclamation of Dec. 12 being known as “Minnesota Homeless Memorial Day.”

Some speakers such as Cathy ten Broeke, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, said they hope the memorial won’t be necessary in the future if there is work done to end homelessness.

“They are all of our relatives, and I hope that we recommit ourselves tonight to the work to ensure that we no longer have to have a memorial service remembering any one of our relatives experiencing homelessness when they die,” she said.