Community Leaders Come Together To Support Churches United

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Since August of this year, Churches United has been on the brink of closure. Setting goals to make sure their shelter stayed open and employees’ pay was available. And the goal still remains to not only keep the mission alive but also be able to support those in need during this winter season.

“I think we do need to take this week of giving to think about who really needs to receive the bountiful blessings that we all have. But let’s not forget that after January 1st when all these festivities end and we go back to, as Mayor Olson said our daily lives, they still need to get to July,” said Shelly Carlson, Mayor of Moorhead.

Churches United currently has enough funds to last them through December 30th. The state of Minnesota will likely be providing aid to the shelter in July, but with six months till then they are still in need.

“I came from the south and they assured me that Minnesota weather will kill people and we all know it does. We are in the winter now and the resources available to us have been through great diligence, hard work and a lot of volunteers and a remarkable staff,” said David Ebinger – District 5 Commissioner, Former Moorhead Police Chief.

Shannon Monroe, Police Chief in Moorhead explained that Sunday night they received their first calls to help people in the cold. One was living in the dumpster and another in a cardboard box. But with jails and shelters full concerns have grown for them as they ask the question of where they can go.

“We need this resource in our community or people will perish from the weather,” said Shannon Monroe, Police Chief in Moorhead.

Pastor Devlyn Brooks ended the meeting thanking the leaders for their support.

“I believe that this entire community understands the importance of the work that Churches United does. And we’ll be here for another 37 years,” said Pastor Devlyn Brooks.

Churches United was founded in 1987 by eleven local faith groups.