PORTLAND, Maine — A vigil is being held Monday in Portland to remember homeless people who have died.
The annual observance takes place on the the longest night of the year.
Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swann says the vigils are becoming sadder and more frustrating every year.
"We've got to do some things different," he says. "It's not just tragic; it's just ridiculous at this point that we've got people dying."
Swann says, during the vigil, the names of 40 people who have died on the street or in shelters in Portland will be read.
"We'll read off their names and we'll grieve for them, but I think we need to do more than that," he says. "I think we need some action and some new energy to do things differently."
The vigil will be held at the Preble Street Resource Center. A similar vigil will also be held Monday at Trinity Church in downtown Lewiston.
