~FM Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, Inc.~ ~Programs and Information~ The F-M Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, Inc. is a caring Christian community that provides services to the homeless and hungry. The goals are to: (1) provide housing and food to those in need, (2) educate guests at the house and clients at the food pantry on services they may qualify for, (3) develop positive interactions between guests/clients, staff, and volunteers, (4) raise awareness and encourage action for social justice and peace in order to change unjust structures and promote peace, and (5) follow a model of continuous improvement for the organization. At the end of the day, everyone deserves a safe place to stay and food in their stomachs, and we strive to attain this goal.
The F-M Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, Inc. is a non-profit organization governed by a 12 member board of directors. There are two live-in staff, six part-time and one volunteer staff, a food pantry coordinator, an assistant director, a director, and over 500 other volunteers who keep the organization up and running.
The impact our organization has on our guests and clients is phenomenal; lives are literally saved. In 2007, 310 men stayed at the house, and 519 visitors came to access the shower and laundry facilities. Furthermore, 18,388 men, women, and children received food from the Dorothy Day Food Pantry, amounting to 333,101 pounds of food.
Our organization consists of two programs: a shelter and a food pantry. We strive to serve the homeless and hungry of the Fargo-Moorhead area. We help feed our neighbors and community members in need. Even more, we help provide food, shelter, and clothing, which are all basic human rights, to vulnerable populations.
~Shelter~ First, the Dorothy Day House is an emergency shelter for ten adult men. These men must have a desire and willingness to make positive changes in their lives. In addition, we allow individuals living on the streets to come to our shelter for showers, laundry, blankets, and toiletries. Each month our shelter serves 100-300 people.
~Food Pantry~ Second, the Dorothy Day Food Pantry distributes food to families and individuals in need. Hungry people have come to the house for meals and food since its opening in 1983; however, as the reputation of serving hungry people grew and the need was apparent, a building large enough to accommodate the community's needs was purchased, and our organization's current food pantry opened its doors to the public in 1999. In 2008 our food pantry was awarded Blue Ribbon recognition through Hunger Solutions of Minnesota. It is now open Monday through Thursday from 7pm-8pm, serving about 1500 people a month from Cass and Clay counties.
~Additional Information~ Our organization has a 25 year history of serving the poor. The basic model can be attributed to Dorothy Day, a social activist in the early 1900s. She spoke out against war and human rights violations, peacefully picketing on behalf of the poor. Our organization continues to carry out her mission. The Dorothy Day House was established in 1983 after the City of Moorhead expressed concerns about housing homeless people in the basement of the Newman Center. Catholic priests responded by buying a house and making it an emergency shelter
~Collaboration Efforts~ Our organization works in collaboration with other organizations to combat the homeless and hungry problem in the Fargo-Moorhead communities. We are members of the F-M Homeless and Hungry Coalitions. Both of these coalitions are a collaborative of community organizations with similar goals of helping the underserved. For example, we just took part in Project Homeless Connect where over 40 agencies provided services to those in need in our community. In addition, we work with social workers, case managers, and other social service agencies to eradicate the problems that lead to homelessness, such as, chemical dependency, mental health issues, and criminal background barriers to housing. With the combination of obstacles our guests face, we are fortunate to have a network of compassionate individuals and agencies working together to eliminate the problem.
With contributions and community support, the F-M Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, Inc. will continue to serve the homeless and hungry. Food, clothing, and shelter are basic human rights that are essential in order to maintain and promote a healthy, prosperous, and productive community. If you have any questions regarding our organization or our two programs, please feel free to contact me us at (218) 233-5763 or via email: fmddh@cableone.net.
~Dorothy Day Biography~
Born in 1897, Dorothy Day grew up in Chicago. In her early years she was a journalist with Communist views. She converted to Catholicism and with Peter Maurin started the Catholic Worker movement, opening her first homeless shelter in New York City in 1933. She spoke out against war and human rights violations, peacefully picketing on behalf of the poor. She was arrested 75 times. The last time, she was 80 years old.
~Shelter~ 714 8th Street South Moorhead MN, 56560 ph: 218-233-5763 fx: 218-227-0327 email: fmddh@cableone.net ~Food Pantry~ 1308 Main Avenue Moorhead MN, 56560 ph: 218-790-1048