Churches United awarded $100K grant from West Central Initiative

The grant originally comes from the McKnight Foundation, which deployed $1M statewide to address the affordability crisis

Churches United has received a $100,000 grant from West Central Initiative to continue serving our neighbors in Fargo-Moorhead and across the region as hunger and homelessness continue to rise.

Churches United CEO Pastor Devlyn Brooks said he is humbled that Churches United was selected for the grant and extended gratitude to WCI for recognizing the important regional role Churches United plays in helping people experiencing homelessness and hunger.

"We are incredibly grateful for West Central Initiative's immense generosity,” Brooks said. “Churches United does serve a large geographic territory that extends in about a 100-mile radius from Fargo-Moorhead. And so we are grateful to receive such a large financial donation from a partner agency that recognizes the vital service we provide to much of Greater Minnesota." 

Many experiencing homelessness in rural communities across west central Minnesota come to Moorhead seeking Churches United’s services, as small communities often do not have the resources to offer comprehensive assistance.

In late November, the Minnesota-based McKnight Foundation deployed $1 million in grants to assist Minnesotans facing food insecurity during the growing affordability crisis. The Foundation allocated $100,000 to West Central Initiative for regranting, which WCI then awarded to Churches United.

“We chose to support Churches United and Micah’s Mission with the full amount allocated for our region, in recognition of their efforts to assist those experiencing homelessness in our area,” said Amanda Quam, WCI grants officer. “Homelessness is often an invisible problem in rural areas, and we recognize that many individuals from our region ultimately seek support in the Fargo–Moorhead area when local resources are exhausted, where they are served by Micah’s Mission. We're grateful for these organizations and the crucial services they provide.”

In November, there were 1,136 visits to Churches United’s Dorothy Day Food Pantry, in which 51,936 pounds of food were distributed to our neighbors in need. More than 140 new households utilized the pantry for the first time last month. At the Micah’s Mission Community Center, approximately 350 hot meals are served daily to community members and shelter guests. The 112-bed emergency shelter continues to be at capacity year-round.

Grant funds will be used to continue to meet the needs of our neighbors near and far seeking Churches United’s services.

"A gift this size helps to ensure that our emergency shelter and food pantry services will remain viable to help us serve all of northwestern Minnesota, and we are striving to continue to build relationships with all of our service providers, as they look to Churches United to continue to lead in shelter and food insecurity issues in our region," Brooks said.