A novel, chilly effort to help end homelessness in the Twin Cities

On a crisp Friday morning in October when I arrived at St. Paul’s Union Gospel Mission, CEO Pam Stegora Axberg was already on her seventh interview of the day. Since 2 p.m. the day prior, Stegora Axberg had been hosting a livestreamed event called Conversations on a Bench, part of a 24-hour national faith-based movement calling attention to issues of homelessness, addiction and mental health. Bundled up with a fire in front of her, Stegora Axberg told me she had spoken with people until just before midnight, then caught a few cold hours of sleep. She resumed conversations at 5 a.m. that morning. Conversations on a Bench started in 2017 in Virginia, but Stegora Axberg brought the event to Minnesota last year to raise awareness of the state’s homelessness crisis and highlight local strategies to alleviate it. “It s a great way to have us come together and build relationships about what we re going to do locally,” she said. Related: Demand for emergency shelter remains hi