Dozens of lives honored at Homeless Persons Memorial Day vigils held across New Hampshire

Vigils were held across New Hampshire on Thursday in memory of those who have died this year while experiencing homelessness. Homeless Persons Memorial Day was something that started in 1990 and happens every year on the longest night of the year and winter solstice. "It just reflects or symbolizes the experience that people have living without stable or safe housing," said Jennifer Chisholm, with New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness. Community members gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in Manchester for a service at 6 p.m. People also gathered in Concord in front of the State House, along with Keene, Dover, Laconia, Nashua, Portsmouth and several other parts of the state. They were all organized by different community leaders and the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness. Services like these were held not only in New Hampshire, but across the country. Communities come together to honor and remember those who have experienced homelessness and died within the year with moments of silence and the reading of names. The executive director of the coalition said they will be mourning and showing their support in finding solutions to "tragic preventable losses of human life." Chisholm said conversations surrounding the crisis are at a point she's never seen. “The sad part of that, the other side of the coin, is that it’s taken such a rise in homelessness to be able to address it to this level. But I am carrying the torch of hope that we are going to come together to find solutions," Chisholm said. She said one of those solutions is affordable housing. “We want as many people as possible raising their voices to bring this to the attention of those who can make a big change," Chisholm said. News 9 spoke with a nurse who worked closely with many of the people who were remembered."It means a great deal for me to be here. Many of my patients have passed in the past year. I come every year to honor them," said Didi Travers, who provides healthcare for people experiencing homelessness. "They're wonderful human beings. It's the perfect time to honor them and show them the respect they deserve. Travers said she wants people to stop stigmatizing the homeless population and learn to be a little kinder.