On Monday, December 21 — the longest night of homelessness — we will be holding a virtual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil at preblestreet.org/vigil. We’ll share the names of the people we lost this year, a prayer from Grace Street Ministries, music from people experiencing homelessness, and more.

The life expectancy of our friends who endure chronic homelessness is 28 years shorter, on average, than that of people who are housed. The human toll of allowing these vulnerable neighbors to slip through the cracks is devastating, not only to those of us who knew and loved the people we’ve lost so far this year, but to our community as a whole.

Together we will mourn the lives that were cut short, and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that everyone who needs a home finds one.