Both Sanford Health faculty and community members gathered Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Nameless Coalition for the Homeless’s new homeless day center, which will help many people in need of shelter in Bemidji.

The former Upper Mississippi Mental Health Center is officially no longer. Sanford Health of Bemidji was gracious enough to donate the building to the Nameless Coalition for the purpose of operating a day center for people looking to get out of the elements.

Once the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded the City of Bemidji with a renovation grant, they were able to start making plans for future changes. But this project would not have been possible without the donation from Sanford Health.

The building will need some upgrades and changes, but with the $600,000 grant given by DEED, it will make these renovations possible.

Susan Jarvis, CEO and President of Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota, shared that the building has a great legacy for providing services for decades. Both Sanford Health and Nameless Coalition hope that this building offers help to people in the community that need it.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony should be taking place for this new center sometime next year.

By — Emma Hudziak