FAIRMONT– The Shepherd’s In, a charitable organization in Fairmont, is having its first Tour of Tables on March 4. The event, which includes a meal and entertainment, will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont.

Money raised from the event will go toward securing a home in Fairmont to be used for housing for people in need.

The Shepherd’s In is a faith-based organization that was started by Curtis Moeckle in 2018. It was originally a soup kitchen which served soup once a month, and then once a week, leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic when it had to change how it operates.

Then, instead of having people gather to serve and eat soup, The Shepherd’s In began preparing soup from donated vegetables and other ingredients, pre-packaging it and freezing it for distribution.

“I started delivering soup. Right after Covid, we were up to delivering 250 servings of soup per week,” Mocekle said.

He said the recipients weren’t necessarily homeless, but homebound in someone else’s home.

In addition to feeding people in need, The Shepherd’s In has helped a variety of people find beds or a safe place to stay.

“I thought, In lieu or having a shelter, which will take a long time, a lot of money and a lot of effort… people need housing now, not two years from now… I thought to rent a house,” Moeckle said.

He rented a house to allow people in need of a place to stay to occupy. Before he knew it, he had four houses.

“Our houses grew because the need grew,” Moeckle said.

However, the homes gradually sold and Moeckle has been unable to find or secure new prospects.

“Our goal is again to have shelters. The fundraiser coming up, part of it is intended to help us rent or buy a house,” Moeckle said.

If he were able to buy a house which needed to be remodeled, Moeckle explained that his plan would be to work with a retired contractor he knows who would train the people in need of a place to stay carpentry skills and they would work together to remodel the home.

“Part of the concept there is to transform the house while we’re also transforming the people,” Moeckle said.

Moeckle pointed out that many of the people he has helped find housing are often just out of treatment or out of jail and if they have a felony, getting a job or renting a house is difficult.

“If there’s no one to help them get away from where they came from, they go right back to where they came from,” Moeckle said.

He said that he has also helped a number of people, mostly women and children, get away from abusive relationships by finding them a place to stay.

Since 2019, when it opened its first house, Moeckle said The Shepherd’s In has helped 70 people in Martin County get off of the streets. Right now, Moeckle said he has four people, a woman and her mother and a mother and daughter, who need a place to stay.

The Shepherd’s In has never done any formal fundraising, rather, it’s accepted donations from people and organizations whether it be in the form of money or items. Its location at 105 E. 4th St. in Fairmont serves as a gathering place for Moeckle to meet with people in need. There he keeps food and some donated items such as clothes, toiletries and house items, though he stressed that the location is not a thrift store.

“We’ve given out at least 10 beds already this year from people who donated them,” Moeckle said.

He believes people find out about The Shepherd’s In through word of mouth. The hotels in town know about The Shepherd’s In and will share information with people in need. Several pastors in the area also give referrals and Moeckle said that local parole officers also know about The Shepherd’s In and will make referrals.

The upcoming Tour of Tables is the first formal fundraising event that The Shepherd’s In has ever held. Mary Lucas, a volunteer with The Shepherd’s In, suggested the idea in order to raise funds for the organization. Lucas has organized various tours of tables for organizations in Blue Earth.

“Right now we have 13 tables that women are going to decorate,” Lucas said.

The tables will be highly decorated in a variety of themes. Some of them include Mardi Gras, Christmas and black and gold.

Moeckle said he let Lucas take the reins in organizing the event but was surprised and excited when he read through the list of tables.

“I would pay the price of the ticket just to take the tour, let alone have lunch and listen to a keynote speaker,” Moeckle said.

Table viewing begins at 11 a.m. and then a noon lunch of homemade soup, croissants and pie will be served. Most of the food was donated by businesses or individuals. There will also be live piano music and several speakers at the event.

“One of the speakers is someone who was homeless and came through our program and is now not homeless. Somebody from Teen Challenge will also be there doing a small presentation,” Moeckle said.

Tickets for the Tour of Tables are available at Lori Darlin’s Boutique, located at 209 Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. Tickets cost $15 with all proceeds going to The Shepherd’s In. It’s recommended that interested people get tickets now as there are a limited number available.