Christmastime at the New Life Center

Today, the Women's Auxiliary paid us a visit, bringing with them gifts of all kinds collected from their representative churches. Shirts, gloves, hats and all sorts of other clothing were generously donated from all over the Valley. Oh, and can't forget the Cookies!



During the Auxiliary meeting, the women and New Life Center staff were granted a special treat from the Oak Grove High School Christmas Carolers. The spirit of Christmas is certainly in full gear.

Next week, the New Life Center staff will be celebrating Christmas together. The party will feature Pizza and Chinese, a long-standing tradition. Most importantly, games and fellowship will keep everyone entertained.

Well, stay tuned for a post next week, as we continue during the holiday season.

Christmas in the Red

Next week, December 10-12, Bethel Evangelical Free Church will be presenting an original Christmas Musical entitled "Christmas in the Red." The play is a story of "two families who cope with crisis in very different ways with very different results. While maintaining a fun, festive, holiday atmosphere, it shares the story of Christmas with realism, candor and creativity!"

Bethel has generously decided to give 3 dollars of every ticket sold to the New Life Center. We are grateful for them thinking of us during the holidays and are looking forward to the musical!

To pick up tickets, stop by any of these places: Hornbachers, Family Christian, Melbergs, The Rainbow Shop, Bethel Church or www.christmasinthered.org Tickets are $8 a piece.

Bethel Church is located at 2702 30th Ave S Fargo, ND 701-232-4476

Community Comes Out Big

It's been a great week here at the New Life Center. And, no, we're obviously not talking about the early fall weather. This weekend the Red River Valley community stepped up and made a difference. A Big Difference.

With no regard to the cool weather or the football season, people of all ages came together outside of local churches, donning nothing more than the clothes on their back and cardboard boxes to keep away the wind, to make a statement. The statement that there are people living in poverty and that they are here to remind everyone of that fact.



Arriving by bus after participating in a night long Homeless and Hungry event and fasting for thirty hours, over forty community members came to the New Life Center to lend multiple hands. These gracious folk did everything from washing storm windows, cleaning up the dining hall, sorting quilts and delivering donations gathered from the previous night's event.

Here's a couple nice pictures of these generous people.





And it wasn't just these folk showing up big time. We also received a well-needed monetary donation from a very important program created by State Bank and Trust, "Pay It Forward". This program, introduced by Michael Solberg, President of State Bank, gives employees the ability each year to award a very generous sum of money to their non-profit of choice. This year, multiple people came together to donate a total of $3,000.00 to the New Life Center.

Here is a photo of the check presentation to Dan Danielson, New Life Center CEO:



(l to r: Eric Braun, Eva Walslaski, Eric Fischer, Dan Danielson, Joyce Rude, Matt Stenehjem, Judy Lee)

Our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the Homeless and Hungry event and the charitable employees of State Bank and Trust, Fargo.

Quick Heads-Up

Hey all,
tonite, our director, Dan, will be featured on John Strand's weekly show on 1100AM The Flag. Recorded last week and with some technical difficulties, the show is supposed to be replayed tonite at 8p.m. So, tune in at 1100AM or check out the streaming site at http://www.am1100.tv/ .

Peace.

Give a Little, Feed a Lot

Throughout the nation, September is known as Hunger Action Month. The goal of this movement is "to promote community engagement and to bring awareness to the solvable problem of domestic hunger in our communities". As a part of the Cass Clay Hunger Coalition, the New Life Center is urging all readers and volunteers to get involved this month with any of the variety of events taking place around our community.

New Life Center Statistics

Here are some basic stats from the past year here at the NLC, with previous year numbers.

From January 1st 2009 - August 31st 2009

-Lodgings = 20,514/Averaging 85 Nightly (as of Aug. '08 Avg. 76 per night)

-Meals = 65,319/Averaging 272 Meals Prepared Daily (as of Aug. '08 Avg. 216 meals daily)

We are currently providing shelter to between 90-95 individuals each night and preparing between 275-300 meals per day.

National & Local Statistics

On site meals served at Soup Kitchens have gone up 11% since 2008
Food Pantries report an increase of 10.3% since 2008
Each month an average of 6,370 people in our community seek and recieve assistance from charitable feeding programs
Last year a total of 69,591 food baskets were distributed by community Food Pantries
In 2008, homeless shelters and soup kitchens in our community served 296,208 hot meals

What You Can Do

First off, check out the Hunger Action Month Website to get ideas about hosting a food or fund drive, volunteering, donating money or advocating for hunger relief.

Around the Valley, you can check out any of the following opportunities.

BBQ @ the New Life Center: September 16, 2009 - Brad Keller and Larry Wild and the First Lutheran Helpers head out again to the New Life Center, bringing beef and all the fixins'. 5:00 pm.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: September 18, 2009 - The Cass Clay Hunger Coalition is partnering with Marcus Theatres around this Sony film. Head to the Century Theatre on 9/18 to help it rain meatballs in Fargo/Moorhead.

Friends of the Poor Walk: September 26, 2009 - St. Vincent de Paul is hosting its 2nd annual walk, benefiting the poor in the local community. Come walk a mile in another's shoes.

Dorothy Day Soup Supper: September 29, 2009 - Join a Soup Supper Fundraiser for Dorothy Day Hospitality House & Food Pantry. St. Joseph's Catholic Church 202 10th St S, Moorhead; 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Homeless and Hungry 2009: October 3-4, 2009 - Homeless and Hungry combines a 30 hour famine and a campout in cardboard boxes to raise awareness, funds and donations for the FM Shelters. First Lutheran Church 619 Broadway, Fargo.

Fill the Dome: November 23, 2009 - Once again, local students are participating in the communities largest food drive, attempting to fill the Fargodome with food donations for local food pantries. This years goals are 75 tons of food and $75,000.

As always, you can contact us here or by emailing Claire. Thank you for your time and help in this exciting month exploring the Hunger issue that is close to all of us.

Peace.

Summertime Grillin' the Perfect Pork

Rain ain't got nothing on Aric Saign's industrial sized smoker!



This past Saturday, Aric and several other active community members from as far off as Sabin, came down to the mission to offer up their time and culinary predilections. I don't care if you're vegan, pescetarian or just someone who doesn't like pork, you can't deny that this setup looks tasty!





Aric Saign and his construction company, Saign Construction, was doing a bit of concrete work for the mission this past July. After visiting with Dan for a while and learning more about our organization, he offered up that he and his wife, Markell Briden, also run a catering business (Casey Jo's Catering) and would like to contribute a BBQ.



Generously donated, this pork wasn't all to be offered up as dinner to our shelter residents and people from all over the community. Garnished with chips, slaw, pies, puddings, assorted crackers and whatever else was in arm-grasp of Mike, our weekend cook, this dinner was, unquestionably, the best deal in town on Saturday evening.



And it wasn't just the folk from Casey Jo's getting in the mix. Volunteers, big and small, set out to give a hand making up this gigantic feast.
Good Stuff!


Overall, the BBQ, despite a bit of rain (easily warded off with a quick move to the warehouse), was a complete success. All reports of the tastiness of the pork are exemplary. And smiles abound!



We'd like to thank Aric and his wife and all of the other volunteers that came out Saturday to provide a unique delicacy for all who showed up. As before, if you would like to make a similar donation or something entirely different, please contact Claire Coffey at claire.coffey@fargonlc.org or call her at (701)235-4453.

-Peace

(All Photos Provided By Mike Pedigo)

Caution: Wet Paint

This blogger is no Mike Pedigo and I believe the back of my shirt can dismiss any contrary beliefs of that. Yet, today I got the chance to don the title of "lead photo blogger" and archive some of our local youth getting out and helping their community.



Four young individuals from Bethel Evangelical Free Church visited us today to lend their time and painting talents. We sent Jacob, Joey, Michael and Taryn to the south entrance in order to spruce up the place a bit. This section of the building is a main thoroughfare for men entering the shelter from the backyard, the lower commons area and used as an exit after an evening's rest.

The volunteers, ranging from age 15 to 19 (Taryn, the eldest, is the small group leader), are all a part of Bethel's "Student Impact" program which encourages young people to get out into their community and help in many various ways.



The New Life Center is blessed by the number of volunteers we receive weekly. This summer we've had good folk scheduled to come and lend a hand at least three times a week and, during the fall, nigh a day goes by that we don't see a fresh face from the community offering up some sort of service or just out looking for some way to help.



On behalf of our entire staff, I'd like to personally thank Jacob, Joey, Michael and Taryn for their excellent work, taking the time out to help those in need and for the inspiration one can only garner through the response of the youth. And, to all other volunteers, prior or soon-to-be, thank you for your continued support. We would not be here, if not for you.

-Peace

For Volunteering Information Please Contact
Claire Coffey : 701-235-4453 or claire.coffey@fargonlc.org