2 min read
Honoring Lives Changed
The 2025 Life Recovery commencees have journeyed through deep valleys of struggle and hardship. Yet, with resilience and grace, they have emerged...
Bill and Jan Traynor were mentors before UGM had a mentor program. Several years ago they and other members from their church were preparing and eating dinner with the residents at Anna Ogden Hall once a month. They got to know Jennifer and her children and invited them to church. The relationship blossomed, and when Jennifer moved out, they stayed connected. Bill helped Jennifer create a budget and develop a resume. Jan encouraged her to cook healthy meals and shop for bargains. “She had a lot of inner strength,” Jan said. “It was the other things she didn’t have – the daily life skills you learn growing up.”
When UGM started the Aftercare program in 2010, Bill and Jan helped train new mentors. In time, they took over management of the entire department. Not what they expected their retirement to look like perhaps, but they are passionate about what they do. Having someone walk alongside UGM graduates and encourage them to walk God’s path “is critical to the whole recovery process,” Bill said.
Interested in being a mentor? Contact our aftercare for more information at aftercare@uniongospelmission.org.
4 min read
Embracing Grace
Chrystin struggled with alcoholism for sixteen years before entering UGM’s recovery program. “I felt so defeated and was lying in bed, drinking, just...
3 min read
Finding Opportunity, Finding Something Lasting
At Union Gospel Mission, we understand that meeting urgent needs—food, shelter, medical care, and job training—is just the beginning. These are the...
We Were Alone
James Bishop : February 1, 2015
You came alongside us. People with strong support systems don’t usually end up in homeless shelters.
Offering True Friendship
Union Gospel Mission : May 12, 2016
For nearly two years, the men and women in UGM recovery live in an uplifting community where there is constant access to support, and then, they must...
Volunteer Features
Union Gospel Mission : June 9, 2022
Connected for LifeA Mentor Feature Whole-person recovery isn’t a single decision, a season of sobriety or even completion of a 16-month program; it’s...