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SALT LAKE CITY — When Shylo Martinez looked out at the small sea of candles in front of him, he saw what — if not for some well-timed hope — could have been.
Were it not for a fortunate and specific series of events, Martinez knows, his story could have ended differently. If he hadn’t been sent to jail for the twenty-somethingth time, if his probation officer hadn’t mentioned The Other Side Academy, if he hadn’t gotten what he believes was a sign from God the next day, he might have been one of the 92 people experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake City who died this year.
Two years ago, Martinez was homeless with a drug addiction and a history of overdoses. Today, he is thriving as a student at The Other Side Academy, a two-year training school for adults who have struggled with addiction, homelessness or criminal convictions.
But if it wasn’t for that particular chain of events, Martinez told the small crowd gathered at Pioneer Park, “I could very well be one of those candles.”
An annual ceremony at the park Thursday night to honor homeless Utahns who have died in 2019 was one of many taking place across the country this week. It was an opportunity to grieve those who passed away since last year’s ceremony, whose names were read aloud.
But local advocate Pamela Atkinson also reflected on the progress the city has made in addressing homelessness in recent years, including opening three new homeless resource centers. Forty-three percent of those who died this year passed away “with someplace to call home,” whether in hospice or another form of housing.
“How different from 10 years ago,” Atkinson said.
She commended the collaboration between various local organizations and entities to find new housing solutions — “collaboration that you don’t see everywhere.”
“What’s happening today is the culmination of many years of work,” Atkinson said. “As a community, we are moving the needle on the number of housing options.”
Of the 92 people who have died since December of last year, 20 were women. Seventeen were veterans. They ranged in age from 20 to 85.
“These were people with vibrant lives and careers,” Atkinson said. “They endured through struggles, they cherished moments that brought them joy.”
In a letter read aloud at the ceremony on behalf of Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, he referenced a night he spent at the Road Home shelter several years ago and the people he met there.
“They were kind and passionate souls with lives full of both triumphs and tribulations,” Cox said in the letter.
The vigil Thursday night was “an opportunity to grieve for all the individuals we have lost and to recommit ourselves to making the world a better place in their honor,” the letter continued. “This memorial is a reminder that each person deserves dignity and respect and we have a responsibility to keep their memory and legacy alive.”
As the sound of taps broke a moment of silence, the candle flames flickered in the chilly wind. But shielded by glove-clad hands, they burned on.
