In response to recent hate crimes against homeless people in Chicago, the Heartland Alliance Health (HAH) outreach team joined the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and several other institutions for a candlelight vigil to pay respects to the lives lost and affected by this senseless violence.
Ryan is a senior mental health worker with the Heartland Alliance Health’s homeless outreach team, and has spent time working across the Alliance serving refugees, immigrants, and others. His work places him at the forefront of our city’s homelessness crisis and the COVID-19 epidemic – giving him a unique perspective of the impact that our society’s racist and oppressive policies have on vulnerable populations.
Why was it important to participate in this vigil?
The stabbing death of Aaron Curry is tragic in itself but also symbolic of the increased risk of violence that homeless people experience on a daily basis. Vigils like these highlight individuals in our community who are made invisible by making them visible and honored. They also give us energy to continue the struggle for the beloved community where everyone counts and economic human rights are respected. Often crimes committed against unhoused people are treated with less seriousness than crimes against those with more privilege. Advocacy like Thursday’s vigil help us to fight against this harmful trend.
Why do you continue to serve in this capacity, even during COVID-19?
Compassion and justice must not end or diminish because of a pandemic. We must continue to practice social solidarity with physical distancing. Community care is an essential service.
What do we need to do as a community to ensure an end to these hate crimes? What do we need to do to ensure an end to homelessness?
We currently live in a world plagued by savage inequality. Poverty and the resulting alienation are at the root of crime. Stable housing not only provides security but also safety. I don’t think Aaron Curry would have been stabbed if he had a home with a bed to sleep in. We must build an economically democratic society where housing is a human right and poverty is abolished.
