The recent cold snap is more than an inconvenience for the homeless in Fargo-Moorhead. “It’s a life and death deal if you’re unsheltered here,” said Pastor Sue Koesterman, executive director of Churches United for the Homeless in Moorhead. The shelter she oversees is the largest in northwestern Minnesota, but it still fills up during the coldest months of the year.

FM Sheltering Churches, a volunteer partnership between local congregations, volunteers and homeless shelters, was formed to offer emergency overflow shelter in churches in the Fargo-Moorhead metro after several homeless individuals died of exposure in the community. From November to April, each sheltering congregation takes a week in the rotation, opening its building as a warming center during daytime hours and an emergency shelter at night. The emergency shelter spaces are staffed by trained volunteers. The individuals who seek refuge are referred by area shelters.

The program has created a dialogue about the often hidden problem of homelessness in the community, but Koesterman is clear that FM Sheltering Churches is a short-term fix. “The solution to homelessness is homes, not mattresses on church floors,” she said. “What the average person needs to do, is realize that we have severe problem with homelessness in our community and to acknowledge that poverty is not a moral failure. There are simply not enough affordable housing units.”

Shelters in the area continue to build and seek out more affordable housing options for the people they help. In the meantime, FM Sheltering Churches will continue to step in to provide a safe space during the coldest months of the year.

Those interested in volunteering or contributing to the FM Sheltering Churches project can find more information at

facebook.com/fmshelteringchurches/. Volunteers do not need to be part of a faith community to participate.