© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Apple's latest iOS (17.4) is preventing our livestreams from playing. We suggest you download the free Boise State Public Radio app & stream us there while we work to troubleshoot the issue.

Nighttime Vigil In Boise Remembers The Homeless Who Died This Year

Interfaith Sanctuary

Tonight marks the longest night of the year.  Advocates chose this night to remember the homeless who have died in 2012.  The National Homeless Person’s Memorial happens in more than 150 cities, including Boise. 

Jayne Sorrels is the Executive Director of Interfaith Sanctuary Housing Services. “We gather together as a community and recognize and honor, remember those who have died in the last year who were homeless, formerly homeless and those who were homeless advocates.”

Sorrels says ten homeless people died this year in Boise, and four homeless advocates also passed away. “For some of these people who have passed, this is the only time that they are remembered in a memorial service.”

Numbers are hard to pin down, but every January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development does a one night count of the homeless.  Nationally, this year, more than 633,000 reported having nowhere to stay the night.  Almost 2,000 of those were in Idaho.  That’s down from the 2,200 people counted in 2011.

Tonight's Homeless Person's Memorial Day Vigil starts at 7:00 p.m. at Interfaith Sanctuary in Boise.  The service is open to the public and will be followed by a gathering with food at the Corpus Christi Day Shelter.

Copyright 2012 Boise State Public Radio

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.