SAN FRANCISCO, CA —In November of 2015, we lost a good man. No one knew it because he was homeless. The man’s name was Matt Day, or Mad Matt, as we called him. He died alone and cold in San Francisco. Because he was homeless, we did not find out. We had to look. And he deserved more than that.
Matt cannot be described in the space I have. His story is bigger than a few words. He helped cause change. He had an effect. And only a few know. Matt was totally insane when I first saw him. He was filthy and smelly, running around yelling at no one. We were at the Occupy encampment in San Francisco. After it was destroyed, Matt participated in the 9-month occupation of the Federal Reserve.
During that occupation, we got to know him. And he was accepted into our community as he was. And then it happened. He changed. He was no longer yelling and angry, he was happy and laughing. He cleaned up. He started drawing. And he was good at it. Very good.
So, my friend, rest and know, you showed me community can heal. Acceptance is all you ever needed. And I took that lesson to heart. I helped found ‘First They Came for the Homeless’ in hopes of duplicating that healing and spreading this lesson. And I have. Thank you for that.
Mike Zint, I’m looking for Matt Day? I’m a retired professor here in Savannah Ga. I first met Matt fishing in Petersburg Alaska, in late 80’s we became friends! After I left Alaska I went back to NM, after a few years at UNM I decided to work on my MFA in photography at SFAI in SF, on Chestnut St, while there I went to a lecture one evening at SFAI and low and behold I run into Matt Day! We continued our friendship, until I left SF to teach here in Georgia! I often think of Matt Day, he used to record sounds of everything! From man made to nature sounds, Matt should be in his late 50’s early 60’s Artist, my name is Zig jackson my email is rbuffalo@earthlink.net I still live in Savannah please let me know