When: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 3:30 pm

Where: 105 West Luray Street

Today, at 3:30 pm in an abandoned HUD property reclaimed by the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, which now houses this homeless veteran and his partner and two children, ages seven and ten, supporters will make a plea to the general public to help the Mejias family on the eve of Memorial weekend. “After serving nineteen years in the military, including Kosovo and almost two years in Iraq, certainly we can house a man who risked his life for our country,” says Cheri Honkala, founder of KWRU.

Speakers include representatives from the Brandywine Peace Community, Atonement Lutheran Church, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom.

Luis's Story

On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, Luis Mejias, his partner Ana and two of her three children, 10 year old Gabriel and 7 year old Ramon came to the office of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU), looking for help with finding a place to live. Homeless for several months, they had been sleeping in their car for the last several nights.

A nineteen-year veteran of the military, Luis was discharged for medical reasons from his last station, in Iraq, seven months ago. KWRU members spent all day with the Mejias family looking for a place where they could stay together as a family and not be separated, as is the common practice in the city’s shelter system. Unable to find space anywhere that could keep them together at this difficult time, the Mejias family was housed temporarily with KWRU members and friends.

Luis Mejias served in the military for 19 years. During his service, he has served our nation in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and elsewhere. Luis spent 2002-2004 serving in Iraq and then was discharged due to the onset of seizures. He returned home after being suddenly discharged, and has been struggling with the Veterans’ Administration (VA) ever since to get the financial and medical benefits due him by the military. A couple months after his return, his home was foreclosed on and he became homeless with his partner and her three children. For several days this past week, Luis, Ana and two of the children had been sleeping in a car while the third child stayed with family friends. On Tuesday, May 17, they were referred to the KWRU by the Community Leadership Institute.

Understanding this family's struggle with homelessness, and valuing Luis’s service and sacrifice to our nation, the KWRU is committed to finding decent, affordable housing for the Mejias family. To help us house the Mejias family, please call KWRU at 215-203-1945.
The KWRU believes that DECENT, SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT!