Louisville shelter remembers homeless who've died in 2023, celebrates new efforts to help more people

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — On the first day of winter, and National Homeless Persons Memorial Day, a Louisville organization gathered not only to remember those homeless who have died, but the new efforts aimed to help.

Wayside Christian Mission held a memorial for those who have died this year, gathering on the steps of Metro Hall in downtown Louisville. Congressman Morgan McGarvey read the names of the 46 unhoused who lost their lives, including most recently a man who died after starting a fire in his tent.

"Those kind of tragedies are senseless," Nina Moseley, Wayside Christian Mission Chief Operating Officer, said. "We don't want to see those in our community. Neither do we want to see people freezing to death on the street."

More than 11,000 people experienced homelessness in Louisville last year. A report from the Coalition for the Homeless found homelessness in Louisville increased by more than 40% from 2018 to 2021.

"It's too dangerous on the streets out there, especially when it's freezing," Moseley said.

One organization, the LDG Foundation, is working to reduce the homeless population in Louisville through many efforts, namely, the Arthur Street Hotel. But, LDG Foundation Chair Lisa Dischinger said they can't do it alone.

"We need help with the community. We need the community to step up, too," Dischinger said.

The Arthur Street Hotel, a hotel-style transitional housing, has helped nearly 200 people get off the streets and into permanent housing.

"You're changing lives," Dischinger said. "Somebody that's been on the street 4 or 5 years and then they're actually in housing? I mean, what else do you say?"

Norton Healthcare answered the call for the community to help on Thursday when it announced a pledge of $150,000 over the next 3 years to help more of those people at the hotel. Hotel leaders said that is equivalent to one room which houses four people every year.

"It just gives us a boost, and it says to other corporations, 'hey step up, you know. This works. This model works.' It gives us hope that other people are gonna pitch in," Dischinger said.

"There are places they can go for help, that there are people that want to help, so this is the season of giving," Moseley said. "Let's give somebody hope for the future."