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.”
And it’s a great fit, Clara said. “I love being in a godly atmosphere where the Scriptures are being quoted, and when you speak to people, you can share who you really are, but it’s also a place where I can give back.
“I’ve had some people walk in who have experienced death, and I’m able to feel what they’re going through. Everyone deals with grief differently, but the bottom line is the same – it hurts. I know what that’s like.” That empathy enables Clara to comfort others with the comfort she has been given.
3 min read
Union Gospel Mission: Sep 8, 2021 12:32:35 PM
UGM’s volunteer case managers stand on the frontlines of ministry, offering listening ears and wise counsel to men and women in crisis.
2 min read
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director: Jun 11, 2021 3:57:18 PM
We are a forgetful people. We forget how broken the world is in which we live. We forget how much we are loved by a good God. We forget the sinister...
2 min read
Genevieve Gromlich, Content and Communications Manager: Mar 31, 2021 2:13:41 PM
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. “The Lord your God is in your midst. A mighty one who will save.” (Zeph. 3:17)...
Union Gospel Mission : Apr 1, 2013 9:53:37 AM
“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....
Union Gospel Mission : Jul 1, 2014 11:50:57 AM
Can you think of a better comfort food than spaghetti? We serve quite a bit of this old standby at our shelters, and we’d love your help to stock the...
Union Gospel Mission : Sep 1, 2013 11:51:10 AM
Kate Gibson, 18, has been coming to the Union Gospel Mission to serve meals with her family since she was six years old. “I remember standing on a...
