Over the weekend, we learned that Joel Johnson, who came to GMC almost every day, was killed as he slept outside St. Luke’s Mission Center in Glover Park. The mood here at GMC is somber and contemplative. We are all wondering who would have done such a thing, and it is a sobering thought that an attack like this could happen to any of our guests who sleep on the street.

Gunther, GMC’s Executive Director, remembers Joel:

I don’t want to remember Joel as a homeless man. He was a gentle man who came to our Center almost every day. He was polite, reserved, and certainly a man of few words. Though we never got to know him well, we all liked him and thought of him as a positive addition to our program.

Joel slept where so many homeless people sleep, exposed to whatever the danger that lingers just around the corner. We lost a good friend who happened to be without a home.

Some of us knew Joel from the Center or from our winter shelter two years ago. Others knew Joel from the Saturday and Sunday dinners that are sponsored and hosted by several Georgetown congregations. We hope you will spare a moment to remember our friend and to keep all of our guests in your thoughts.