December 21 is the Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, commemorating the people who have died in the past year while homeless. December 21 is the longest night of the year and in New Hampshire, the severe cold reminds us of the suffering of those living out of doors. Many churches in New Hampshire support and serve the homeless in their communities and many of our church member-volunteers attend outdoor vigils on this night.

Here are the vigil events happening around New Hampshire that we are aware of:

1. Concord, 4pm,  State House Plaza, 107 North Main Street
   
2. Hampstead, 7pm, Hampstead Congregational Church, 61 Main Street. Details on Facebook.
3. Keene, 5:30pm, United Church of Christ in Keene, 23 Central Square. Bell-ringing.
4. Laconia: 5:30 pm in Veterans Square.
5. Lancaster: 5 pm to 7 pm at the Centennial Green.
6. Manchester: Thursday, December 20 at 6 pm in Veterans Park.
7. Nashua, 5:30pm, Main Street United Methodist Church, 154 Main Street. Details on Facebook.
8. Newport: 6:00 pm at the Newport Common.
9. Peterborough, 4:45pm, Peterborough United Methodist Church, 43 Concord Street. Details on this flyer (PDF).
10. Portsmouth: 5:30 pm in Market Square, in front of North Church.
11. Upper Valley: 4:30 pm in the Listen parking lot, 42 Maple Street, White River Junction, VT.

Don’t see your town listed? Please email us and share the details!