Local Homeless Honored at Vigil on Hyannis Village Green

Longest Night: Homeless Persons' Memorial Service Held in Hyannis

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HYANNIS – Members of the community gathered on the Hyannis Village Green Wednesday night to remember those who are too often forgotten.

A gathering was held to honor National Homeless Persons Remembrance Day and 21 homeless or formerly homeless individuals who were lost this past year were honored.

“These people that we remember, all 21 of them, they’re real people with social security numbers and beating hearts, we knew them,” said Dan McCullough, a professor at Cape Cod Community College.

McCullough made a short speech on the village green before the crowd was escorted by a bagpipe performer to the Federated Church in Hyannis for a memorial service.

“These were citizens of Cape Cod, they walked this Main Street, some of them stood here a year ago, not expecting perhaps that they would be dead in a year,” said McCullough.

Studies estimate that between 4,000-6,000 people fall into homelessness annually across Cape Cod, many of whom are employed.

While homelessness remains a large issue, there has been progress.

In 2009, the Main Street Initiative counted 93 people on the street in Downtown Hyannis; today that count hovers between 15 and 30 people depending on the season.

By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter

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