The Longest Night

On Saturday night during outreach, we were chatting with some people who were unsheltered, after having provided some extra blankets, soup, and warm food. One was hoping that a job application would be successful and the other was looking for an apartment. They also spoke about someone we knew who had been homeless in the recent past and had been housed through HOPES Center’s rapid rehousing program. After two years in the program, he had taken over his apartment and was paying for it on his own. Shortly after that, he had some health problems related to underlying conditions. He recently passed away from COVID-19.

Tonight we officially enter winter. It is the longest night of the year. Our street outreach team will be out tonight, but before that there will be the Longest Night Ceremony here in Racine. Each year we have a service to remember those who passed away during the year while experiencing homelessness. This year the service will be a virtual service because of the pandemic, but we will still be remembering:

• Michael L.

• Kevin S.

• Erasmo G.

• Troy D.

There are others who passed away in their homes, having recently left homelessness and become housed, like the one we were informally remembering during outreach on Saturday night. We wish the best for those who serve, hoping to help them end their homelessness as quickly as possible, but unfortunately sometimes we mourn we someone passes away while homeless or after having just recently left homelessness.

Longest Night Service on Monument Square: 2019