September 2016
It’s easy to look at a homeless person and see only his or her homelessness – the weathered face, the cardboard sign, the worn clothes, the desperation. It’s easy to forget that, first and foremost, he or she is a human being, created in the image of God.
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For three years, UGM has been in a state of anticipation. We have watched the average number of guests grow to 87 per night. We need your help >
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March 2016
Throughout her life, LeAnna Vargas was repeatedly treated as though she had no value, and eventually, she began to believe she didn’t. Feeling increasingly unlovable, her heart began to harden toward love.
Child abuse, sexual assault, and her own drug addiction made LeAnna skeptical of ever finding acceptance.
“My whole life, I’ve just been running amok, searching for people to love me for myself, and I never knew that I could ever find that in anybody. I didn’t have love.”
Hurt and angry from what seemed a fruitless search, LeAnna put a guard up to protect herself. “I was mean, heartless, cold, deceitful.”
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Everybody wins when men, women, children are helped. The people in need, when they know there's support behind them, it's the wind at their back. It gives them strength, gives them hope.
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December 2015
IN HER PURSUIT OF PLEASURE, Rachel lost her joy.
Disillusioned with the church, she ran away from God and became disconnected from family.
“In the back of my mind, I cared about family, but I had such a negative view on what being a Christian was, I didn’t want to hear about how I needed to come to God.
“I backed away from trying to have a relationship because I knew I was doing things [my family] didn’t approve of. I cut myself off from them. I wouldn’t return their phone calls… I didn’t want to answer the questions they had for me, like about drinking or partying or about a relationship with God…I was too ashamed of myself.”
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Life and death. Joy and sorrow. Growth and pain. Life is a mix of the good and the bad. Becoming a Christian doesn’t magically change that... Read More >
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Heritage Health, a faithful partner to the Center’s medical clinic from day one, is now offering the specialized counseling services... Read More >
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UGM could not do what it does without volunteers. We are deeply grateful for the rich variety of talents they bring to the ministry... Read More >
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September 2015
Prisoner. Addict. Homeless. Drunk. When we use labels, we miss out on seeing people for who they really are. We confuse peoples’ actions with their identities.
Looking in from the outside, people might have labeled Shannon Duval a druggie, a jailbird, an unfit mother or even a loser.
When she was 21, Shannon gave birth to Evan, who was born prematurely. For 2 months, Shannon was unsure whether Evan would live. She used drugs to deal with the fear and uncertainty.
When Evan finally did get better, Shannon stopped using. Over the course of the next three years, she had two more children and earned her college degree.
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February 2015
You came alongside us.
People with strong support systems don’t usually end up in homeless shelters.
