Faith in Housing, a coalition of faith groups in the St. Cloud area that works to end homelessness, is holding a Central Minnesota Summit on Homelessness from 9-11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at Atonement Lutheran Church, 1144 29th Ave. N., St. Cloud.
The objectives of the summit are to:
· Inform the community about the current state of homelessness in Central Minnesota.
· Examine the impact of current and upcoming funding cuts.
· Explain how individuals and organizations can help.
· Gather in community with hope and responsibility.
The Summit will kick off with a review of the current state of homelessness in Central Minnesota and recent successes that local partners including housing navigators and shelters have experienced.
In addition, Representatives from Catholic Charities, Lincoln Center, Lutheran Social Services, Place of Hope, Salvation Army and TriCap will lead a panel discussion on how their agencies have been impacted by recent funding cuts, the adjustments their organizations have had to make in response to the cuts, and the impact of future cuts on their agencies.
“The goal of our Faith in Housing Leadership Committee is for everyone to have a safe and stable, warm place to be this winter,” said Pastor John Gabrielson of Atonement Church and member of the Faith Housing Leadership Committee. “To achieve that goal, we are gathering in community and welcome input on how to best move forward.”
The summit is free and open to anyone with interest in this topic. Registration is requested but not required. To register, please email Kris Boyle at kkb72mom@aol.com.
Above photo: A homeless man sits with his belongings along a street in San Francisco May 19, 2024. On Dec. 27, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, which found homelessness in the U.S. has surged 18% to a new record in 2024. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)