Union Gospel adds $1.6M space for chapel, dining

A Sioux Falls charity is building a $1.6 million addition to increase worship and dining space for the hungry and impoverished.

Workers have already erected the exterior of what will become a new chapel for Union Gospel Mission near Eighth Street and Weber Avenue, and are currently framing a new entrance.

The mission is moving ahead with the project to meet growing demand, but still needs to raise more money, Executive Director Fran Stenberg said.

“We decided we can’t wait any longer because the numbers keep going up,” Stenberg said.

Footings for the current addition were put in about 20 years ago when the mission first acquired the property because organizers anticipated growth. In the last couple of years, a growing number of Sioux Falls residents who rely on the mission prompted organizers to begin planning for the current addition.

Organizers have raised about $400,000, but are still seeking donations. If people are interested in giving, they can contact the mission at 605-334-6732.

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Community leaders have continued to add resources for Sioux Falls’ poorest residents with homelessness on the rise in South Dakota.

Nonprofits are working together to track services. Organizers launched a pilot in June in an effort to improve how they serve families in need. Creators also hope the Sioux Empire Network of Care will paint a better picture of poverty and need in the community.

Last week, a pair of council members proposed increasing funding for the Bishop Dudley House. The Sioux Falls homeless shelter changed its intake policies earlier this year amid an increase in participation. Funding for the shelter would quadruple under plans from Councilors Michelle Erpenbach and Greg Neitzert.

Plans for expanding Union Gospel Mission do not include extra beds. However, the improvements will still have benefits for the community, said Stacey Tieszen, homeless advisory board coordinator for Minnehaha County.

“I appreciate the work that they do and the help that they provide to the people experiencing homelessness in our community,” Tieszen said in an email.

The mission’s new facility will add 10,000 square feet. In addition to a new chapel, the project includes a new check-in area and a so-called “day room” for men. It’s a place for the men to spend time before meals or during the day when they’re not sleeping.

Building a new chapel will allow organizers to dedicate more room in the old structure to dining. Currently, the cafeteria shares a room with the chapel and diners are forced to make due during a rush, Stenberg said.

“They sit in the seats, the pews,” Stenberg said. “They stand in the corner.”

Meals served last year topped 97,000, a jump from five years ago when the mission’s annual meals total was closer to 75,000. Moving the chapel to a separate building will allow the cafeteria to more-than double its capacity, Stenberg said.

Stenberg, who has led the mission for more than 40 years, said participation has grown as the mission finds new ways to serve those in need. In addition to serving three meals a day and hosting a daily church service, the mission offers health care services, youth events, employment aid and a thrift store.

“It’s not just feeding people or not just sleeping people, it’s making a difference in people’s lives,” Stenberg said. “That’s our whole goal, to make it a life-changing experience.”

TO DONATE

People who are interested in giving money for the Union Gospel Mission's ongoing addition should call 605-334-6732.