St. Cloud's Dream Center Raising Money For Building Improvements

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A nonprofit that has been in our community for 30 years is raising money to improve its buildings.

The Overcomers International Fellowship Dream Center was founded in 1995 and has been located in the old Great Northern Hotel since 1998.

Helping at-risk men, including the homeless, veterans, and justice re-entry people

Pastor Michael Laidlaw says they have a program that typically lasts about nine months to help the men get their lives back on track.

We're a vital service that is serving and caring, holding the men accountable. Working with the Department of Corrections, the Police Department, local corrections and then working with all the aftercare programming they have to do through the community to address their mental, chemical, and physical health.

Laidlaw says they are providing a critical service, especially for men who have recently been released from prison and are trying to re-enter society.

They need support, they need those services. We do it safely. We do it to protect the community. One of our policies is no more victims. When we change a life around, we change their whole future. They aren't out there committing more crimes.

Two of the Dream Center's five buildings are getting improvements.

New window installation will be completed in June at 530 16th Avenue North, with a majority of that cost covered by a $20,000 donation from Benton Communications.

At 529 16th Avenue North in 2026, they want to replace the stucco siding from the 1917 building with new siding and insulation. The Dream Center has already received $50,00 from the city in a Community Development Block Grant, but they still need to raise another $70,000 to do the work.