Lester Ross was a staple in the unhoused community known for his infectious smile and ability to apologize for his sometimes-unruly behavior.  For two decades, Lester lived in emergency housing sites operated by SELF and other providers and received services from the city’s Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS).  He was eventually connected to housing and living on his own when he contracted COVID-19 in the Fall of 2020.  Unfortunately, Lester Ross transitioned, and his cremains were left unclaimed in the city’s morgue for months.  Upon discovering this, SELF engaged in discussions with OHS and DBHIDS, to develop a process to provide a dignified burial for formerly homeless Philadelphians.  Out of these discussions, SELF created the Lester Ross Homeless Memorial Fund.  Its purpose is to assist with the burial cost of these formerly homeless Philadelphians whose cremains have gone unclaimed and left in the Philadelphia City Medical Examiner’s Office. To the extent possible, burial assistance will be aligned with the religious and cultural customs of the deceased.  The Lester Ross Homeless Memorial Fund was able to hold its first burial of cremains in February 2022.  Burials will continue annually and may increase to semi-annually based on the number of unclaimed cremains.