The Landing MN

10/23/2026

Meet Erin Sinnwell, The Landing MN’s Director of Development! From fundraising and community outreach to sharing the stories that connect people to our mission, Erin helps bring our work into focus for the community.

With a degree in creative writing, Erin understands the power of a good story. She believes that sharing the experiences of people facing homelessness can challenge assumptions, break down stigma, and remind us that every person has a story worth hearing.

When she's not helping tell those stories, Erin enjoys spending time with family, running, snuggling her dogs, and watching sci-fi movies. Her movie interests lean toward the extraterrestrial, and anything involving aliens is bound to catch her attention. She's also a musician who plays piano and French horn and sings. Erin also has a soft spot for slugs (yes, slugs!) and enjoys macro photography, capturing the little details most of us might overlook.

That appreciation for looking closer carries into what Erin hopes for The Landing MN: that more people will take the time to take a closer look at the work happening here and the people who make up our community. As Erin puts it, “We're more than a day center. We're a place of community for people who might otherwise go without it.”

And sometimes, that connection shows up in a small but meaningful moment. Erin says that when a client she's gotten to know remembers her name, it makes her day.

Here's to looking closer, listening to one another, and recognizing the humanity in every story.

Thanks for all you do, Erin!

10/20/2026

🧶 A little progress, a lot of creativity, and an even bigger sense of community! 💚

We had an absolute blast this past weekend kicking off our community art collaboration at Morph Creative Reuse! Together, we added the first touches to the loom for a collaborative woven art piece that will eventually find its home on the walls of The Landing MN’s Day Center.

And we're just getting started! There’s still plenty of room on the loom for YOU to leave your mark. No art experience necessary — just bring yourself and a willingness to try something new!

🎨 Come join us at an upcoming session:

📅 Saturday, October 24 | 10 AM–3 PM
📅 Friday, October 30 | 4–7 PM
📅 Saturday, October 31 | 10 AM–3 PM

📍 Morph Creative Reuse, 821 3rd Ave SE, Unit 45, Rochester

The sessions are free, and you’re welcome to stop by to contribute to the weaving or simply check out how the project is coming along! Donations for The Landing MN’s resource shelf are encouraged in lieu of a registration fee.

A huge thank-you to Morph Creative Reuse and local artist Molly Althoff for bringing this wonderful project to life. We can’t wait to see what our community creates together!

10/19/2026

🚨 BOTTLED WATER NEEDED — URGENTLY! 🚨

As the temperatures drop, our need for bottled water doesn't. We're running low again at The Landing MN and could really use our community's help replenishing our supply!

Here's how you can help:

💧 Drop off donations: Unopened bottled water can be brought to The Landing MN Day Center daily between 9 AM and 5 PM.

📦 Shop our Amazon Wishlist: Can't make it in person? You can order bottled water directly through our Amazon Wishlist, and it will be delivered straight to our Day Center! We'll share the link in the comments.

Every case makes a difference, and we're so grateful to have a community that continues to show up for our neighbors when they need it most.

Thank you for helping us keep this essential resource available for the people who count on us. 💚

10/17/2026

🎃 Rochester, come get spooky with us! 🕸️

The Eat Your Heart Out Spooky Art Market & Food Fundraiser is happening RIGHT NOW, and The Landing MN is here!

Come explore some spooky creations from local artists, grab some food, and stop by our table to say hello! 👋 We’ve got Landing MN T-shirts and baseball caps for $20 and mugs for $15. Every dollar from our merch sales goes directly toward supporting the guests and clients we serve!

🕷️ Today, Saturday, October 17
🕚 11 AM–5 PM
📍 Parking lot between Garden Party Books and Amethyst Yogi (602 7th St NW, Rochester)

Come shop local, support the arts, and show some love for your community. We’d love to see you! 🖤

10/17/2026

Spooky season, local art, and community coming together for a good cause? Count us in!

The Landing MN is excited to see you TOMORROW at The Artery: Eat Your Heart Out — Spooky Art Market & Food Fundraiser! Stop by our table, say hello, and shop some Landing MN merch while supporting our mission to provide a soft place to land for adults experiencing homelessness in our community.

🕸️ Saturday, October 17
🕷️ 11 AM–5 PM
📍 Parking lot between Garden Party Books and Amethyst Yogi (602 7th St NW, Rochester)

We'll have T-shirts and baseball caps for $20 and mugs for $15. All proceeds from our merchandise sales go directly toward benefiting the guests and clients of The Landing MN!

Come support local artists, discover some spooky-season creations, and celebrate the power of community. We can't wait to see you there!

10/16/2026

There is something powerful about making one part of life boringly predictable.

In studying approaches to homelessness in places like Finland, one idea continued to stand out to us: people are better able to work on the difficult parts of their lives when some of the basic parts stop being uncertain.

That idea has increasingly shaped how we think about our work at The Landing MN.

Our Executive Director, Alex Hurlebaus, puts it this way:

“When someone is living in constant uncertainty, even small decisions consume enormous amounts of energy. Our job is to remove as much unnecessary uncertainty as we can, so people have more room to focus on what actually moves their life forward.”

That is part of what inspired us to make hot breakfast a consistent part of each morning at The Landing MN.

Before that, breakfast could be one more question in an already uncertain day.

Now, it is one less.

One less thing to plan around.
One less thing to worry about.
One more part of the day that has become dependable.

A client once described the feeling simply: "Knowing there is one less thing to figure out in the morning."

That sentence has stayed with us.

Because dignity isn’t always dramatic.

Sometimes dignity is knowing what to expect.

Sometimes progress begins when survival requires just a little less energy.

And sometimes the most meaningful thing we can offer someone is one less problem to solve today."

10/14/2026

We’re incredibly grateful to Mayo Clinic and its generous staff and volunteers for their continued support of The Landing MN! 💚
Mayo Clinic contributed $15,000 to The Landing MN as part of its staff appreciation event on September 15. This generous gift will help us continue providing healthcare and support services to people experiencing homelessness in our community.

Beyond this financial contribution, we’re thankful for the many Mayo Clinic healthcare providers and volunteers who give their time, expertise, and compassion to support the people we serve. Their partnership helps make essential care and resources more accessible to our neighbors who need them.

Thank you, Mayo Clinic, for investing in the health and well-being of our community and for standing alongside The Landing MN in this work. We couldn’t do it without a community that continues to show up for one another.

Read the full story from KTTC below!

The organization, which works to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness, says the $15,000 gift was given as part of the Mayo Clinic staff appreciation event on September 15.

10/13/2026

💙 Altra Gives Back Day! 💙

A big thank you to the wonderful staff from Altra Federal Credit Union who spent time at The Landing MN learning more about our mission and lending a helping hand with our fall mailing!

We are so grateful for community partners like Altra who not only give back to their community but also encourage their employees to get involved and make a difference.

Thank you, Altra, for your continued support and for sharing your time and talents with us! 💙

10/11/2026

🎨 Create Something That Will Have a Place to Land

This October, The Landing MN is teaming up with Morph Creative Reuse () for a special community art collaboration — and we’d love for you to be part of it!

Over the course of five free community art sessions, participants will work alongside local artist Molly Althoff to create a collaborative piece of artwork using upcycled materials. Every person who participates will have the chance to contribute something to the finished piece, which will eventually find a home on the walls of The Landing MN’s Day Center.

It’s a chance to create, connect, reuse, and make something together that will have a lasting place in our community.

Community art sessions will be held at Morph Reuse:
📍 821 3rd Ave SE #45, Rochester
🗓️ Friday, October 16 | 4–7 p.m.
🗓️ Saturday, October 17 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
🗓️ Saturday, October 24 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
🗓️ Friday, October 30 | 4–7 p.m.
🗓️ Saturday, October 31 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

The workshops are free and open to the community, and no art experience is necessary. Instead of a registration fee, participants are encouraged to bring a donation for The Landing MN’s resource shelf. You can find our current needs and donation information by following the link in the comments.

We’re incredibly grateful to Morph Creative Reuse and Molly Althoff for helping bring this collaboration to life — and for creating a space where creativity, reuse, and community can come together.

Because all of us have something to contribute. 💚

10/10/2026

☀️ October marks ONE YEAR of hot breakfasts at The Landing MN! ☀️

One year ago, we decided breakfast needed to become more than something occasional–it needed to become something people could count on.

Since then, we’ve served 11,670 hot breakfasts. But the impact of this program goes far beyond the number of meals served.
Starting the day with a warm, filling and nutritious meal matters physically—but it matters emotionally, too.

For someone experiencing homelessness, there can be so much uncertainty in each day. At The Landing MN, we want our guests to know there is one thing they can count on: a soft place to land.
A place that is open seven days a week.
A place where someone greets you with a smile.
A place where people know your name.
A place where you can sit down and begin your morning with a hot meal, dignity and a sense of normalcy.

Mark, one of our guests, shares what having breakfast at The Landing means to him:

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A full stomach fuels you for the things I need to do, especially walking to my doctor's appointment.”

Our staff have seen the difference, too. When guests begin their morning with a warm meal and a welcoming environment, it can change the tone of the entire day. Breakfast also creates another opportunity to build relationships and connect guests with the other resources available at The Landing—from showers and laundry to medical care, social services and someone who is simply willing to listen.

As our Food Services Coordinator, David, shares:

“The breakfast service had made a significant impact on our clients. They really appreciate being greeted by a warm meal right away in the morning. It makes the mornings go much smoother having people sitting and eating together. Our volunteers have loved getting the opportunity to serve another meal here as well. And at the end of the day…who doesn’t love breakfast?”

One year later, we are incredibly grateful for every partner, donor, and volunteer who has helped make 11,670 breakfasts possible. Because these are more than just meals—they represent something our guests can count on. Every morning, they know a warm meal, a welcoming space, and a familiar smile will be waiting for them. It’s nourishment, but it’s also consistency, connection, dignity, and care.

Here’s to one year of hot breakfasts, warm welcomes and starting each day with dignity. ❤️