Off the News: In memory of the homeless

While the sixth annual service at Central Union Church known as “Blue Christmas,” or, “The Longest Night,” held on the winter solstice, was canceled this year due to COVID-19 concerns, some 112 homeless individuals who died here this year were remembered with a blue illumination of Honolulu Hale on Monday.

The church service, which has honored people in America who pass away each year without housing, serves as a poignant opportunity for reflection during the holiday season for those who have lost a family member who was homeless. Since the first service, according to city figures, about 475 people considered homeless have died on Oahu.