Each year on the winter solstice, more than 160 cities across America gather for “The Longest Night” to remember the members of their communities that died without permanent homes, on National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.
On December 21, a ceremony was held at the Anaheim Cemetery to honor and remember the more than 200 people who died last year on the streets of Orange County.
Tim Houchen, the main organizer of the event, was homeless in Orange County from 2011 to 2015 and is now the head of a non-profit organization called Hope 4 Restoration.
A centerpiece of the event is a memorial wall which lists the names of all those who died this year. The wall is decorated with flowers, candles, and photographs of the deceased.

The memorial wall lists the over 200 people who died on the streets of Orange County this year.
“I’ve been doing these for about five years,” Houchen said. “I’ve had to put my friends’ names who I was homeless with on that memorial, and to call their names during this ceremony…I hope the day comes when none of my friends will be on that wall. Even better, to have no names on that wall.”
The event began with a musical performance by The Solstice Singers, made up of local singers and musicians especially for the occasion.
After the music, a few speakers addressed the gathered crowd.
Patrick Hogan emerged as a leader and spokesperson for the local homeless community during the time of the large encampment along the Santa Ana Riverbed, and afterward.
“His was a voice that spoke for many people that were unable to speak for themselves,” Houchen said as he introduced Hogan. “His willingness to listen to them and hear of their needs of his community, and his ability to communicate those needs to advocates facilitated that urgent response in delivering resources to this emerging human crisis.”

Candles, flowers, and photographs decorate the memorial wall.
Following the clearing of the homeless encampment along the Santa Ana riverbed in 2018, many people were scattered into motels across the county and shortly thereafter many were back on the streets. Hogan wrote articles and created a newsletter that allowed people to be informed and reconnect during that time.
Hogan read a poem he wrote for the occasion:
I dreamed last night of fellows fallen,
Of those I nodded to in passing, and those I called friends.
Of tents and bags to sleep in,
Of clothes and zippered packs jammed to bursting,
Of bikes with lights and no brakes,
Or skateboard and scooters,
Of paper bag lunches I never ate,
Or gave away to ease hunger.
I dreamed of Sarge and Red Rider,
Of Max and Dancing Robert and Buddy,
And many more whose names I cannot recall.
I dreamed of the smile in their eyes,
And the kindness they tried to hide,
I dreamed of cold stinging rain
And a blazing sun that could melt my shoes,
Of a wind that whips and rips through my soul,
And the cold a cloudless night can bring.
Before awakening, I found myself at a table feast
With a warm, glowing fire.
And the smiling eyes of fallen friends
Welcoming me with a kindness they couldn’t hide.
And I felt homeless no more.
The keynote speaker of the event was Susan B. Parks, president and CEO of Orange County United Way. Under her leadership, the organization launched United to End Homelessness, an initiative committed to end homelessness in Orange County by providing housing and supportive services.
“Tonight we honor our lost neighbors, friends, and family members who died this year while experiencing homelessness,” Parks said.
She explained how living on the streets is “treacherous, stressful, and deadly.”
“It has been proven time and time again that the end to homelessness is a home. We are advocating for the production of more permanent supportive housing in Orange County,” Parks said.
Attendees then assembled at the memorial wall with candles as volunteers read the name of each person who died homeless this past year.

Attendees hold candles and listen as the names are read.
Here is a list of the names:
STEVEN RENOIR
RICHARD MARRONE
MITCHELL COPELAND
ALLYSON BARBER
EDWARD OLAGUE III
MARY RELIGA
CHERYL ADAMS
DAVID NELSON
ROBERT AIELLO
FREDERICK LUCERO
MICHAEL ALMASY
MICHAEL CZAPLINSKI
KEVIN TRAN
DARRYL BOSSIER
GEORGE MAXWELL
KATLYN JENICAN
FERNANDO CERVANTES
JADE GREBE
DENISE JENSVOLD
JOHN THIBEAULT
CATHERINE DODSON
NICHOLAS TAMULINAS
MARTIN KATZMANN
MICHAEL BERGLER
REANNA EBANY
IZABEL VELASQUEZ
STEVEN MARTIN
JOSE AGUIRRE
TOMMY SALAZAR
ANDREW HENDERSON
JAY FOUTS
SCOTT SPENCER
JOSEPHINE TORRES
RONALD MARTIN
LISA PECK
PETRU MUNTEAN
MICHAEL SPEAK
RAYMOND OLIVER
SUSAN BERGER
DONALD AMES II
KORTNEY SANDERSON
STACEY RAAB
PEDRO MEDERO
DAVID FERRY
JOSE VELASQUEZ
MICHAEL TURNER
LINDA GARNER
LUCAS ALPIZAR
MICHAEL SEBREROS-SANCHEZ
DUANE LOPEZ
ROBERTO OMANA
OCTAVIO TEOSILO
SHELLEY DUPRAY
LEONARD LAUVAO
FERNANDO GONZALES
DOROTHY RODGERS
WILLIAM WELLS
JOSE RANGEL
THOMAS BRYANT
GARY SEEDS
NICHOLE EASTIN
DAVID STACK
CHRISTINE SAVAGE
ABEL GUEVARA
RAYMOND MACDONALD
RICHARD THOMPSON
DAVID GIBSON
LARRY LEWIS
DAVID LONGO
VICKI MORRISON
CATRINA PADILLA
PAUL BRAZER
JASON MUDRINICH
PEGGY PRESTON
BRENT SCHNEIDER
MICHAEL RIGGS
DAVID KRAUSZ
ARMANDO MARTINEZ II
PHILIP BLUM
PILAR BELTRAN-KNIGHTS
LETICIA MARQUEZ
GONZALO EVARISTO-TOMAS
LEON BICKETT
DUSTIN NORDVALL
ROBERT DEYA
LEONARDO CUELLAR
ANGEL GALINDO
OSCAR PARRA
WILLIAM WALLS
GERMAN MENDEZ-GARCIA
JOHNNY MARION
MARK MOEN
RICARDO EUGENIO
ANDRES CHAN
ANITA RHOADES
JOSEPH SHERWIN
FRANCISCO MARTINEZ-AGUILAR
TODD COLEMAN
CHRISTOPHER WILD
ELLIOT FISHMAN
GREGORY WHITTINGHAM
HOANG TRAN
JOSE CARRERA-BARBOSA
TYRON COETZEE
LEONEL GARCIA-DIAZ
KYLE PARRISH
KOSOL CHIM
HAMID BEHRAZAFAR
ELDEN KIRIFI
MICHAEL GARCIA
MARK CAMPETT
PAMELA GARCIA
WILLIAM MONTAGUE
JULIAN BERNAL
DAVID TUY
JESSICA FLEMING
TAYLOR THOMPSON
DOUGLAS ROBBIO
JOSE DOMINGUEZ-MARTINEZ
CARLOS FLORES
KRAIG KISSINGER
SEAN VALADEZ
JOHN CRASS
RANDALL DODD
INFANT FEMALE ANDERSON
BRAD INFANGER
DIMAS ROMERO
DAVID HARRIS
ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ
RAFAEL MORALES
LESLIE STUART
SANDRA VANZANT
MICHAEL YARBROUGH
STEVEN SCHOFER
FRANKIE TELLEZ
JASON BOWEN
DONALD LOFTON
TIMOTHY MANNING
ERNEST PARRA JR.
BRIAN SWAN
ANDREW BRAFF
SEAN VITTORIO
CARLOS AGUILAR
DEREK WILSON
VICENTE DE LEON
PATRICK HILL
JULIO MORALES
SHERRY DIMICHELE
LANDON BUCHANAN
NEPARTERIA BAILEY
JAMES OKEEFE
ISIDRO ROJAS JR.
JESSE RAMIREZ
CHO BUI
JOSEPH BERON
RANDOLPH AGUIRRE
LIBERATO CABALLERO
BENJAMIN HEIN
VANESSA SEAGRAVES
MARCOS ALARCON
KEVIN FOOKES
JOEL LOPEZ
PASCUAL TORRES
GLENN MOBERLY
WILLIAM GLOVER
EDWARD SLANK III
VICTOR ESTRADA
WALTER CARTER
MARIO SANTIVANEZ
RODOLFO AGREDANO
JAMES TALBOT
JOSEPHINE BECERRA
DAVID SORENSON
INFANT FEMALE CUEVAS
SCOTT TERNER
DAVID WHELPLEY
JAMES GALLIAN
JENNIFER KUHNS
VIRGIL DWYER
LOREN VINCENT
ERNEST MEZA JR.
MARY HARDY
GARRETT GALLOWAY
THERESA CHERRY
JEFFREY WYNGAARD
FELIPE VERDUGO
RAYMOND PENDERGAST
LAURA CITORES
TODD HODGES
JAY LUCAS
SAILOR KELLY
ALONSO MARROQUIN
STEVEN KNEISLEY
AYRTON JASSO-PERES
KRISTIN MOSHER
JULIAN TAFOLLA
MAYRA DELFIN-CARRETO
LEONARDO VEGA
KIMBERLY JOHNSON
CAROLYN MUSTAIN
ANTHONY PHILLIPS
ISRAEL MATADAMAS-VASQUEZ
JOSE BARRIENTOS
JOSE GUERRO
TERRI DELAO
MICHELLE CAMARILLO
Categories: Local News