In Monroe, Louisiana, the October 17 commemoration was in partnership with the Desiard Street Shelter, some churches like the Good Shepherd Church, the Lutheran Church, Methodist church, organizations in the City like St Vincent de Paul, and other organizations who serve the people at the Desiard Street Shelter. For three years now, October 17 is celebrated with the people at the Desiard Street Shelter, where a hundred people show up every day for a hot lunch, wash their clothes, make telephone calls, etc.
The week before October 17 a small delegation of five people, including one spoke person from the Desiard Street Shelter, went to invite Mayor Mayo of Monroe for the commemoration. It was the second time Mayor Mayo attended the Commemoration Day; it has become a tradition that he reads the Text of the Stone after the testimonies and stays a while to greet the people at the Desiard Street Shelter. People at the shelter felt so proud of his presence and liked to talk to him. It was a challenging place for him to come to. He said, “It impressed and frightened me to see this mass of people still living in poverty. I was myself born in poverty and I don’t forget about it.”
Two weeks before the commemoration, we wrote testimonies and did some art and creative workshops in the backyard of the shelter. It was a way to get people ready for the day. Some people painted banners and posters with the theme of the year “Striving Together to End Poverty”. They were very helpful to decorate the shelter and make it beautiful for the day. It was a wonderful time and helped to bring people together.
On the day of October 17, the room was packed with people. We had a one-hour program in which different people from the shelter and other organizations read testimonies and the poem “I bear Witness”. Everybody was listening closely to the testimonies, and we all sang the song, “Oh! Freedom!”. People had been practicing the song for weeks. Patrick, a man who experienced homelessness, said, “It was a day of pride. We listen to each other with respect. The Mayor came this time again, and that was good.”
Rev DF said, “I was struck by the testimony of that mother who has seven kids and cannot get a picture ID…. We take it for granted and everybody thinks that it is normal to have a picture ID and we think that everybody has one. The narrative showed her as a good mother; with a clean environment: that was powerful (…) from the socio-economic story to the dignity of people(…) we have a blind spot on this (…) The thing needs to be remembered … the folks need to hear this story too, they need to hear: you are worth something, and you have dignity, etc.”
Another woman, a social worker said, “All the organizations working with poor people should be present on that day and listen to the testimonies! I invited my staff but none came, next year I will work toward it so that they will be present. It’s so important to hear the message in our work…”
Next year the people in Monroe hope to have their own Commemorative Stone. People were so proud to hear that this commemoration is also happening in many parts of the world.
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