On Monday night, 300 people of different faiths joined together in memory of the 62 homeless individuals who passed away in New Orleans since January. Archbishop Aymond was the principal celebrant for the prayer service and was joined by ministers of many different faiths. The service also included the testimonials of two currently housed Harry Tompson Center guests, Mary Ann Barrett and Veril Pike who recounted their experiences of life on the streets of New Orleans.

Mary Ann had several friends on the list of those who had passed, and shared happy memories of her time with them. Her strength in the face of what she had lost was awe-inspiring. When she was coming to the end of her testimony, she was unable to completely hold back the tears as she shared her surprise and gratitude to the attendees.

“Thank you… I had no idea that so many people cared about us…”

Veril spoke of how he, before he received help and support at the Rebuild Center, could very easily have been on that list.  He shared that he had survived two strokes while living on the street, and now volunteers his time at the APEX youth center to give back for all that he was given.

“I felt it was my calling… The reason I made it, to help these kids make something of themselves.”

The service was a beautiful tribute to those who have passed. The ministers ended the sermon with a message of hope, and the call to action, because even though it may be hard to make a change alone, when we come together like this, we can change the lives of many others.