CU, local agencies discuss homelessness, hunger at panel

The panel at New Life Center in Fargo on Thursday allowed local agencies to outline trends and needs in the community

New Life Center in Fargo hosted a panel on homelessness and hunger with local agencies and nonprofit organizations on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

Churches United Housing Director Ginny Stoe speaks during a panel on homelessness at New Life Center in Fargo on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

Churches United had the opportunity to outline some current successes and challenges ahead during a hunger and homelessness panel at New Life Center in Fargo on Thursday, Nov. 20.

The panel brought together representatives from New Life Center, Harm Reduction Center and Gladys Ray Shelter, Fraser LTD, the YWCA, Youthworks and Churches United, and was led by the FM Coalition to End Homelessness. Also present were Mayors Tim Mahoney of Fargo, Shelly Carlson of Moorhead and Bernie Dardis of West Fargo.

Agency representatives and city leaders each had time to speak about their organizations, as well as some of the trends they’re witnessing in food and housing insecurity.

West Fargo Mayor Bernie Dardis, left, and Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson, center, listen while Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney speaks at New Life Center in Fargo on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

Speaking at the event, Churches United Housing Director Ginny Stoe explained that Micah’s Mission emergency shelter currently has 93 community members sheltered and more than 145 people utilizing the drop-in center daily.

“As we all know, homelessness isn’t just (caused) by one issue,” Stoe said. “There’s not one fix; there’s multiple system barriers from income and health care to mental health. Housing is expensive, and it’s competitive. And low-wage jobs also take a burden on individuals.”

While housing and food insecurity are on the rise in the community, Churches United will continue to meet the needs of men, women and children seeking services at Micah’s Mission or Dorothy Day Food Pantry.

Churches United can meet those needs thanks to the ongoing generosity of the community, which stabilized Churches United over the past year during a challenging period of uncertainty.

“I am happy to share today that we are financially stable,” Stoe said. “We are debt-free, which is amazing, and that’s due to our partner agencies and private donors that really lifted us up.”

New Life Center Executive Director Rob Swiers also highlighted the importance of collaboration between agencies and organizations.

“We work so closely, in particular, with Jan (Eliassen) and her team (Fargo Cass Public Health Harm Reduction Program) and Churches United, in trying to get as many people off the street as possible,” Swiers said. “All the organizations, but in particular, those two.”

Stoe noted that Churches United is dedicated to bringing services into Micah’s Mission to assist community members with whatever they need. One example is Lakeland Mental Health, which comes to the shelter weekly to meet with community members and guests.

“We’re working on boosting those things up and trying to get people connected,” she said. “In the drop-in center at Micah’s Mission, we were seeing over a thousand people in a week, and our food pantry (usage) has also just continued to uptick. So we just really need that support from our community.”