Next Stop: A Place to Call the BEYOND HEART
Robert never stopped working—but he lost almost everything.
Even as he continued driving a school bus each day, divorce, declining health, and mounting financial strain left Robert without a place to live. For a week, he slept in outdoor bus shelters, enduring heat, rain, hunger, and uncertainty—then showed up for work the next morning.
After his divorce, Robert lost contact with his son and was not allowed to see his granddaughter—a loss that still hurts. As his health continued to decline, hospitalization became unavoidable, leading him to New Life Center.
Through Medical Respite and the Harbor Program, Robert found what he desperately needed: safety, care, and stability. He went from sleeping in a bus shelter to having a bed, meals, clean clothes, and a place to heal. Dignity returned. Hope followed.
Today, Robert continues driving a local school bus while taking steps toward permanent housing. Each day, he sees reminders of his own granddaughter in the children he drives—a relationship he deeply misses and carries with him.
At 79, the future can still feel uncertain, but Robert remains His journey is a powerful reminder that homelessness anyone—even those doing everything they can to survive—and th at when heart meets action, stability and hope are possible.
“I found a place that cared for me. Now I’m ready to move on.”
Robert, Harbor Program Guest
A Message of h ope
As we approach Giving Hearts Day, I’m reminded that homelessness does not fit a stereotype—it can happen to anyone. It can happen to men like Robert, who continued showing up to work even while sleeping in a public bus shelter. His story is a stark reminder that the men we serve could be someone you pass every day—maybe even your child’s bus driver.
Because of your generosity, men like Robert find more than shelter at New Life Center—they find safety, dignity, and hope rooted in faith. Your gifts also make possible our newest endeavor, Operation Hope, a winter overflow refuge designed to ensure safety and accessibility during extreme cold. This low-barrier overnight shelter provides a warm, safe place for up to 32 additional men each night, increasing our total capacity across all New Life Center programs to 184 men and allowing us to respond more fully when winter conditions are most dangerous.
Thank you for answering the call. When you give this Giving Hearts Day, you impact the heart of someone in need. Your generosity becomes compassion in action—providing shelter, meals, and hope for men struggling with homelessness. Because of you, lives are being restored, and Christ’s love is made tangible to those who need it most.
Rob Swiers Executive Director
Send Post-Dated Check
Mail a check payable to New Life Center dated Feb. 12, 2026 , to PO Box 1067 • Fargo, ND 58107-1067 . Only checks received on or before Feb. 12 will be matched.
