Sue Shirek, Executive Director of Northlands Rescue Mission, will be a part of the panel discussion “Homelessness in North Dakota”. The discussion will take place Wednesday, January 9, at 6 p.m. at the Empire Arts Center after the Grand Forks premiere of first episode of “Home. The Homelessness Crisis in North Dakota.”

“Home.” is a 12-part limit-series documenting the homelessness crisis in North Dakota. The series examines causes of homelessness, and the individuals affected. The premiere of “Home.” explores the myths surrounding homelessness and the right to housing. The premiere also introduces some of the organizations working to combat homelessness in North Dakota. The rest of the series is scheduled to be released early in 2019.

The series aims to raise the visibility of what Louis McLeod, Executive Director of the Minot Area Homeless Coalition, calls the “invisible crisis” in North Dakota.

As executive director of the Northlands Rescue Mission, Shirek provides leadership to Grand Forks’ only emergency homeless shelter. In 2017, the emergency shelter served 526 clients. The Mission empowers homeless men and women to rebuild their lives. Prior to leading the Mission, Shirek was most recently the executive director at Care and Share of Crookston, MN, a homeless shelter. Prior to that time, she was a patrol officer with the Grand Forks Police Department for 26 years. Her assignments also included the Community Resource Bureau as a neighborhood resource officer and as a school resource officer in the Grand Forks middle schools. She retired in 2013. A resident of Thompson, Shirek serves on the Board of Directors of Prairie Harvest Mental Health and Third Street Clinic, both in Grand Forks.

The Grand Forks premiere of the first episode of “Home.” will take place on Wednesday, January 9, at 6 p.m. at the Empire Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public. Seats may be reserved online on Eventbrite. Prior to the event, the public is invited to join the Human Family and Northlands Rescue Mission from 4 to 5 p.m. The Mission will offer free hors d’oeuvres and a tour of the shelter.

The Grand Forks screening of “Home.” is funded in part by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Home.” is produced by The Human Family, a non-profit organization promoting human rights through film and art. For more information about “Home.” or The Human Family, visit www.human-family.org.

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