BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Every year thousands in our community experience homelessness, and for some they never find a way out. That why this year, the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative commemorated those who died with the Second Annual Homeless Persons Memorial Vigil.
Katrina Matthews came to California with big dreams, but instead she found herself on hard times.
“Fighting so hard to just stay alive," Matthews said. "You know but the situation and just circumstances that we’re in makes it hard.”
Matthews said it was Flood Ministries that brought her to CAPK's M Street Navigation Center. That was 100 days ago.
“Her experience with homelessness for the last six months has been rough, and it’s not going as quick as she expected," said Megan Ruth, the homeless coordinator for the center. "But she just spreads that hope with other people that it takes time and you can do it.”
While at the navigation center, Matthews says she’s learned a lot about the different struggles others faced. She said in one case, she became very close with another resident at the center. So it came as a surprise to Matthews when she found out her friend had been sick.
“You know, later found out she had passed. So that was definitely touching," Matthews said. "I remember going to group with her, doing a little this, doing a little that, not knowing she was even sick. So to look the next day hope for her to be there and she wasn't. To find out she passed, that hurt.”
Her friend was among the many dozens of homeless persons honored during the community vigil at Historic Union Cemetery. A bouquet of roses was laid at the base an angelic statue in the garden of hope in honor of those lost.
“The numbers overall for people who are passing away who are homeless are increasing in general," said Anna Laven, Ph.D, director of BKRHC. "That’s always a concern for us, you know every life is precious and when somebody passes away on the streets, that’s a sad day for us.”
Last year at least 86 homeless individuals were memorialized at the vigil. This year, total numbers are still being determined.
Matthews said while this experience has been a difficult one, she’s never felt more love and she’s grateful for the lessons she learned and the friends she made.
“To be there and encourage them. That there’s other things you can do," she said. "Just because we’re homeless, doesn’t mean this is the end for us.”
Matthews is returning to Crisfield, Md. where her family lives. As a final sendoff, Ruth invited Matthews to sing a duet during the vigil. The two sang “Dancing in the Sky.”
