SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
9:00-10:00 am
10:00 am
Registration
Welcome — Rusty Bender, Director of Church Life; First Presbyterian Church of Fargo
10:15 am
Keynote Address — Chandler Esslinger, Executive Director; FM Coalition to End Homelessness
Peace in Practice: Ending Homelessness as a Shared Calling
In this presentation, Chandler Esslinger, Executive Director of the FM Coalition to End Homelessness, will offer a grounded look at the state of homelessness in our community and how our local response system functions today. Chandler will share why this moment calls for thoughtful, coordinated action that strengthens the supports people rely on and makes it easier for neighbors to move from crisis to stability.
This talk invites us to understand ending homelessness as a shared calling, one rooted in compassion and carried forward through collective effort. By working together across congregations, neighborhoods, and sectors, we can ease the burden on our shelters, expand access to housing and care, and create the kind of lasting, material improvements that embody peace in practice.
In this presentation, Chandler Esslinger, Executive Director of the FM Coalition to End Homelessness, will offer a grounded look at the state of homelessness in our community and how our local response system functions today. Chandler will share why this moment calls for thoughtful, coordinated action that strengthens the supports people rely on and makes it easier for neighbors to move from crisis to stability.
This talk invites us to understand ending homelessness as a shared calling, one rooted in compassion and carried forward through collective effort. By working together across congregations, neighborhoods, and sectors, we can ease the burden on our shelters, expand access to housing and care, and create the kind of lasting, material improvements that embody peace in practice.
11:15 am
Break
11:25 am
Jill Ambuehl, Coalition Coordinator; Great Plains Food Bank
Collaborative Strategies to Ending Hunger
The session will cover the strategic approaches that local hunger coalitions and Great Plains Food Bank use to mobilize resources, engage community partners, and create sustainable solutions. Attendees will learn about the different models of coalition membership, including how diverse stakeholders - ranging from local organizations to government agencies - work together to maximize impact. This session is ideal for anyone interested in strengthening partnerships and exploring innovative ways to address food insecurity within their own communities.
The session will cover the strategic approaches that local hunger coalitions and Great Plains Food Bank use to mobilize resources, engage community partners, and create sustainable solutions. Attendees will learn about the different models of coalition membership, including how diverse stakeholders - ranging from local organizations to government agencies - work together to maximize impact. This session is ideal for anyone interested in strengthening partnerships and exploring innovative ways to address food insecurity within their own communities.
12:30 pm
Luncheon
1:30 pm
2:30 pm
Round-Table Discussion facilitated by Rusty Bender, Director of Church Life
Making Room at the Table: Seeing, Hearing, and Holding Space for One Another
This interactive session invites participants to explore what it truly means to “make room at the table” in our communities. Through storytelling, guided reflection, and small-group conversation, we’ll examine hunger, housing insecurity, and belonging, and consider practical ways to respond with empathy and action. Inspired by A Bigger Table and Neighborhood Church, this is a human-centered space to listen, learn, and imagine peace in practice.
This interactive session invites participants to explore what it truly means to “make room at the table” in our communities. Through storytelling, guided reflection, and small-group conversation, we’ll examine hunger, housing insecurity, and belonging, and consider practical ways to respond with empathy and action. Inspired by A Bigger Table and Neighborhood Church, this is a human-centered space to listen, learn, and imagine peace in practice.
Break
2:40 pm
Sing Peace! Making Room in Song & Spirit
Come lift your voice and spirit as we sing for peace together. Sing Peace! Making Room in Song & Spirit is a time of shared music, prayer, and reflection—celebrating hope, belonging, and community. Through familiar hymns, moments of quiet, and voices joined as one, we’ll close our day centered in peace and gratitude.
3:40 pm
Closing Remarks — Jason Urbanczyk, Consultant; MN Coalition for the Homeless
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Chandler Esslinger
Chandler Esslinger is a dedicated advocate for systemic change, specializing in anti-poverty initiatives and community-wide strategies to improve health and well-being. As a leader in the fight to end homelessness in the FM area, she works to align stakeholders and strengthen local systems through evidence-based best practices, trauma-informed care, and a commitment to health equity. Chandler lives in downtown Fargo with her spouse, Claire, and their two beloved chihuahuas, Minnow and Sage.
JILL Ambuehl
Jill Ambuehl is the Coalition Coordinator for Great Plains Food Bank. For nine years she has been working to advance food security initiatives through grassroots efforts and community engagement. Passionate about equitable access to nutritious food, Jill has led collaborative efforts that unite local organizations, neighbors, and stakeholders to build sustainable food systems. Her work focuses on empowering communities to develop locally driven solutions, strengthen partnerships, and create lasting impact in the fight against hunger.
JAson Urbanczyk
Jason Urbanczyk is a 1st cohort graduate as the Community Engagement Fellow at MCH and has previously partnered with them as a member of the regional expert network( REN). He is originally from Detroit Michigan and now resides in Moorhead Mn (Clay County) where he is very active in local homeless prevention. Jason serves as the lived experience representative on the West Central Continuum of Care Board and is the co-chair of that COC’s performance evaluation committee. jason also co-chairs the Fargo Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness advocacy committee and has recently taken over as the community engagement team co-chair with Homes for All. Jason’s passion and drive to create change come from the many years spent homeless having the system fail him.
When he is not advocating to end homelessness Jason is very active in addiction recovery recently celebrating 6 years clean and sober! In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and weightlifting, going on hikes in the woods, anything that involves nature.
When he is not advocating to end homelessness Jason is very active in addiction recovery recently celebrating 6 years clean and sober! In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and weightlifting, going on hikes in the woods, anything that involves nature.
SPONSORS
VISIoNARY $2,500
