GIVEN TO UNION GOSPEL MISSION DECEMBER 1, 2012 TO FEBRUARY 28, 2013

In memory of: The kind gift of:

Mabel Anderson: Robert & Marilyn McDowall

“God ignited a fire in me.” That’s how Connie Bagley describes what happened to her the first time she helped serve at UGM’s Friday Night Outreach. She committed to serving on a weekly basis and, before long, took over the food preparation, as well. She heats the soup (often a donation from Olive Garden restaurant), makes the sandwiches and ensures that the necessary equipment and serving items are ready to load on the truck. Then she meets the team at First Covenant Church to help serve.

After Clara Adkins lost her husband in November 2011, she prayed, “Lord, don’t just put me on a shelf. I want to be useful.” Less than a year later, she found herself volunteering at the front desk of the Union Gospel Mission. She answers the phone, greets visitors, and provides caring service. “I love interacting with people. God knew I needed to be with people.”

“Throw out the rule book and simply talk to God -- any way, anywhere, anytime about anything.” – Joyce Meyer

Wil and Jean Gassman have been praying with people at UGM’s Monday night Celebrate Recovery service since the summer of 2006. They listen. They pray. They share Scripture and words of encouragement, and they see the God of comfort at work on a weekly basis.

By Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director

Sheldon grew up in California. He is thoughtful, soft-spoken, a bit shy. Charles’ home state reveals itself in his drawl. He’s a Texas cowboy, a former bull rider who still carries a bit of the swagger, and his nickname, “Rowdy,” indicates a certain reputation. And, yet, the two men have much in common: the loss of their childhoods, abuse, growing up without fathers, running away from home as teenagers, turning to drugs and alcohol, living their lives in fear, broken relationships, and buying into the deep-down-destructive lie that – at their core – they were unlovable.