"I'm going to give my kids a different life. And I get to do that because I chose life over death." - Jocelyne

Addictions don’t cause homelessness.

You may question that statement if you’ve been around homeless shelters and seen the toll addictions take on people’s lives – destroying their bodies, stealing their resources, isolating them from loved ones.

But to get to the root causes of homelessness, UGM recovery counselors have learned to delve down to what’s hiding under the addiction.

Research shows a strong link between what are now called “adverse childhood experiences” – abuse, neglect, abandonment, domestic violence – and self-destructive behavior in adulthood.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” - Proverbs 4:23

The heart. What an important, complicated, mysterious thing. 

Physically, we know it’s the hardest-working muscle in the body, beating 100,000 times and pumping 2,500 gallons every single day – our lives depend upon its proper functioning.

Spiritually, the Bible uses the heart to indicate both the center of the emotions/the intellect/the personality and that which is hidden or inaccessible. It encompasses our connection with God, the spiritual, the unseen – the seat from which flow both love and trust. As is the case with the physical body, our spiritual lives depend upon its proper functioning.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

God’s Word in the Bible, and the wonderful hope of salvation it describes, is a cornerstone of the Union Gospel Mission. It is the lamp of truth by which we can see where we’re going.

For our guests, as for anyone else who decides to follow Jesus, the journey of faith is not generally smooth, comfortable, sunny, straight and obvious. We need a trustworthy lamp in order to navigate it safely.

Recovery residents Rex and Heather both came to faith in Jesus before coming to UGM. But neither of them could handle the problems in their lives, external and internal, without the ongoing help of God’s Word and His people. That’s why He brought them, even against their inclination, to UGM.

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”*

We couldn’t agree more, but not the wimpy, conditional love the world has to offer – not love based on performance, celebrity, looks or birthright, not love that ebbs and flows based on feelings. The world needs the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, love with the power to turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, love with the power to erase shame and self-hatred, love with the power to bring a person into right relationship with his/her Creator, love with the power to turn enemies into sons and daughters.

In January, the Crisis Shelter for Women and Children celebrated its 10th anniversary, and thanks to many of you, they did it in a newer, much larger, better equipped location - 1515 E Illinois Ave.!

Charity and her children were a few of our first new guests at the new location. Charity's mom had been in recovery at the UGM Center in Coeur d'Alene and told Charity she needed to get help for her addiction. Charity was ready. She dropped everything and drove her three children to the new shelter, where they were able to have their own room, catch their breath and make a plan for the future. They have since transitioned to Women's Recovery at Anna Ogden Hall. Charity knows she's on the right path. She's eager to learn how to be a good mom and provide stability for her children.

Ann | Mentee

After 25 years working in social services, Ann was exhausted. Raising two sons by herself had taken its toll. After they moved out, she quit her job and found she was alone with a person she didn’t like - herself. “I just stopped ... believing that there was anything left for me to do. I was old and I was a burden.” Unhealed wounds from the past cropped up, dragging her self-worth even lower. She withdrew from friends and family, and her isolation fed a spiral into darkness.

“I was ready to die. I was more ready to die than I was to live.”

In 2010, UGM leadership undertook the monumental task of creating our first strategic plan. We started by taking a hard look at our purpose statement: Was it accurate? Did it clearly define who we are, what we do? And after some serious thought, we decided there was an important piece missing: partnership. That’s when we added that initial phrase:

“Partnering with the Inland Northwest...”

One of the most beautiful extensions of personal healing and recovery is the reunification and restoration of families. Moms get their children back. Children get their moms back.

Chaos

Addiction creates chaos and instability and affects a mother’s ability to parent. Addicts live in survival mode, often oblivious to their children’s needs and ill-equipped to meet those needs. Children end up neglected, abused or separated from their families of origin.

Elizabeth, a resident in UGM Recovery, explained the dilemma she experienced trying to be a mom to her daughter, Celine, while in her addiction:

We talk a lot in Christian circles about the commercialization of Christmas and the damage it has done. You’ll get no argument from me on the subject. Christmas decorations go up at the same time as pumpkins these days; it’s one big hodgepodge of fake spider webs, hayrides, turkeys and reindeer.

UGM residents express deep appreciation for what they are given every single day. But there’s something particularly special about being given the freedom to shop for yourself or your child, to choose a particular coffee, a certain book, a great-fitting pair of pants. Gift cards make perfect presents for our residents for exactly that reason.