1. For decades, I was what you might call a drifter.
After I got a divorce in my early 30s, I ended
up pretty much estranged from my family . . . and
became best friends with the bottle. I would drink
to forget my problems. And I often got in trouble with
the law because of my drinking and my short temper.
I was a truck driver for a while, which at least had
specific destinations. But in my personal life, I had little
drive or direction. And somehow, that aimlessness landed
me right here in Fargo.
Here’s how: I had visited my daughter in Rochester,
Minnesota, where I had a run-in with my ex-wife. I just
hopped on the first bus out of town. I didn’t care where
it was going.
Some hours later, the driver asked if everybody had
their passports, because his next stop was in Canada.
I didn’t have a passport, so I asked, “What’s the name
of this town?” He said, “Fargo,” and I said, “Well, that’s
good enough for me. I’ll get off here.”
Helping Homeless and Hurting People Move from Merely Surviving to Truly Thriving
Winter Issue 2015
1902 Third Avenue North
Fargo, North Dakota 58107
It was evening, so I went to sleep on a bench. A police
officer came and said, “You can’t sleep here.” And he told
me to go to the New Life Center down the road.
So I went. I stayed at the Mission about six months
before I got a job and got
back on my feet and out
on my own. But I kept
drinking, and had some
serious anger issues. I also
was beginning to have some
health problems.
About a year and a half
ago, I finally asked myself,
“What are you drinking for?
You don’t have any reason for
it.” I came back to the New Life Center, and I haven’t had
a drink or a cigarette since then.
The staff has helped me get my life straightened out.
I couldn’t have done that by myself. This place has always
(701) 235-4453
www.fargonlc.org
I Didn’t Care
Where I Was
Going
“Thank you for giving
me an opportunity
to find direction
in my life!”
Fargo Union Mission
by Gary
“I asked the bus
driver for the name
of this town. When
he said Fargo,
I said, ‘Well, that’s
good enough
for me.’”

2. As you read these words, our
temperatures are likely in the single
digits, and often well below zero at
night. Such a climate is not only brutal,
but can even be fatal. (See the Message
from the Executive Director.)
That’s why it’s imperative for us
to keep our doors open all winter, to
anyone who knocks and needs shelter
from the cold. Because in mid-winter,
ours is not just an outreach to homeless
and hurting souls, but literally a life-
saving ministry.
Men who show up at the New Life
Center often thank us for being here,
been here for me, and if it
weren’t for them, I know
I’d be out on the streets,
aimless, with no place to go.
Thank you for giving me
direction!
Cont’d from pg. 1
Dear Caring Supporter,
A year ago, a 48-year-old man froze
to death one night on a downtown Fargo
street. A news report said he “had no
permanent address.” His death was
a tragic reminder of the difficulties we
face daily at the New Life Center. Brutal
winters, of course. And the sad reality of
“no permanent address.”
Those things combined — lethal
temperatures and homelessness — have
left us with more challenges than ever.
When I took this job five years ago, I
was told that things would be “nice and
slow” in the summer, and that it will
“pick up a little in the winter.”
Then the economy crashed. While
the rest of America felt it, North Dakota
remained mostly unfazed; we even had
jobs to spare, and people came flocking.
Fargo’s population grew 10 percent in
one year — from 96,000 in 2009 to
106,000 in 2010.
But many of those job seekers
remained unemployed, so our homeless
population exploded. Last winter, we
had beds for 103 men, but an average
of 106 showed up every night.
The bottom line? We need to grow.
We need more space, more beds, more
staff. More food, clothes and volunteers.
So when you curl up by the fire with
a mug of coffee or hot chocolate this
winter, please remember us — and
those who would be stranded on the
streets without us.
Thank you!
Rob Swiers
Executive Director
P.S. Don’t forget Giving Hearts Day
on February 12. See the story
on Page 4!
“Lethal winter temperatures
and homelessness have left
us with more challenges than
ever before.”
Give Life,
Literally,
to Local
Homeless
A Message from
Rob Swiers, Executive Director
The shelter is in need
of the following items:
• Thermal underwear
(tops and bottoms)
• Insulated work gloves
• Face masks
• Bus passes
• Disposable razors and
shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Men’s jeans
• Sweatshirts

3. for providing them with hot meals,
beds with blankets, and a warm place
to sleep overnight.
But those thanks are really meant
for friends like you, whose faithful
giving makes it all possible. Without
the generous support of compassionate
people like you, we might literally have
to shut our doors, leaving them out on
the streets. And nobody wants that to
happen.
Our costs go up significantly in the
winter too, as more men seek shelter
and as our heating bills soar. So
more funds are required just to keep
“I Thought
I Would
Kill Myself”
by Steve
When my dad died in 1996, I went
into a deep depression. I had a gun,
and there were times I thought I was
ready to blow my own brains out. But
whenever I’d grab the gun, I’d say,
“Nah, it ain’t worth it. I’m giving life
another shot.”
People like being around me
because I’m always joking around,
always have a smile on my face, and
I always seem happy. They don’t know
how much pain I’ve experienced,
in more ways than one. So much
pain, in fact, that I considered suicide
several years ago.
I grew up in a messed-up home.
My dad was abusive, and my mom was
an alcoholic. They divorced when
I was about 6, and my brother and
I were raised by my grandmother on
a farm. Then my brother was killed in
a tractor accident when he was just 11.
By the time I was 18, I was drinking
a lot. I got kicked out of school for
fighting. I got into another fight when
I was drunk, and ended up doing
almost two years in jail. When I got
out, I started a career as a professional
baker. That went OK for a while,
but my drinking kept getting me
back into trouble.
On top of all that, I was having
chronic ear infections that caused
constant pain — pain so severe that
it practically drove me mad.
“The Center has helped
me turn my pretend
happiness into real
lasting joy. Thank you!”
Because in
mid-winter, ours is
not just an outreach to
homeless and hurting
souls, but literally a
lifesaving ministry.”
I finally ended up here at the New
Life Center, and they’ve helped me
a lot. I’ve been sober for several years,
and now I look at things differently.
I’m happier than I have ever been . . .
and not just on the outside. If it weren’t
for the Center, I’d probably be dead.
I feel like I’ve gotten my life back
on track, and I am praying to get
back to work soon. Once I do, I’ll get
a place of my own. Thank you for
making that possible!
things running at our “normal” pace.
And since giving often dips after the
holidays, the beginning of a new year
can put quite a strain on our budget.
Next time you’re out, notice the
men walking along the downtown
sidewalks. Chances are, some of them
are homeless and will be knocking on
our door tonight.
Please remember them, and the
New Life Center, with your continued
support by using the enclosed remit
slip. Or by giving online at
www.fargonlc.org.
Thank you!

4. Help Us Raise
$55,000 in 24 Hours!
Want to see your dollars go even further?
When you make an online donation of $10 or
more to the New Life Center on Giving Hearts Day,
Thursday, February 12, a portion of funds raised is
being matched by a generous donor.
We’ve set a goal of raising $55,000 during this
24-hour event.
These funds are critical to help carry us through
the winter!
On February 12, you can make a secure donation
PO Box 1067
Fargo, ND 58107-1067
New Life Center Women’s Auxiliary Presents
38th
Annual Prayer Breakfast
16th
Annual Evening Dessert
April 16, 2015
Breakfast: 9:30 am
Evening Dessert: 7:30 pm
Speaker: Dee Brestin
Hilton Garden Inn, Fargo, ND
“National statistics on homelessness are
staggering with data suggesting over 1.5
million Americans use a shelter or transitional
housing during the year. The National
Alliance to End Homelessness estimates nearly
700,000 Americans experience homelessness
on any given night in the U.S.”
— CNN, Jan. 30, 2013
online at our website, www.fargonlc.org. Or you can give through
the Impact Giveback site, www.impactgiveback.org, designating
your gift to the Fargo New Life Center. All funds will go directly
into our ministry to local homeless men.
Giving Hearts Day is an annual fundraising event that benefits
charities in North Dakota and western Minnesota. The 24-hour
event, hosted by Impact Foundation and Dakota Medical
Foundation, was founded in 2008. Since then, more than
$12 million has been raised for hundreds of nonprofits.
Please remember to support those in need at the New Life
Center on February 12. Thank you!
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7)
A Please mail this completed form with your most generous donation, or you may give your gift online
at www.fargonlc.org. Your gift is tax deductible as allowed by law. You will receive a receipt.
ACCOUNT NO. EXP. DATE
NAME SIGNATURE
ADDRESS
CITY / STATE / ZIP
EMAIL ADDRESS
My Winter Gift Of Hope
YES, I want to help give hurting men warmth, new hope, and
a second chance at life this winter. Here’s my gift of:
Staggering StatisticsSave the Date!
m $20.50 to provide 10 meals and other assistance
m $30.75 to provide 15 meals and other assistance
m $61.50 to provide 30 meals and other assistance
m $________ to provide as many meals and as much care as possible
m Please bill my credit card: m VISA m MC m DISCOVER
RM_45-0108_J02FA