A Light in the Valley

More than 20 years ago, the idea of a shelter in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley was born, and in the past few years has begun to take shape. Soon, that vision becomes reality. For the first time, the community will have a safe, clean-and-sober shelter offering a true pathway out of homelessness for those ready to rebuild their lives.

Hear from members of the community who see the everyday impact of homelessness in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

HOMELESSNESS IN THE LC VALLEY

According to ER physician Austin Brown, many people are drawn to Lewiston because of its relatively mild winters, but they often find themselves unable to make ends meet or arrive already homeless, eventually settling in the city’s parks or on the streets.

“A lot of times, you’ll see tents set up and people walking down the street with huge backpacks, people sitting on the sidewalk asking for money. I see a lot more of it personally, working in the emergency department. Many of them have substance abuse problems. When they have nowhere to go, people learn the easiest ways to get help are to say the right things. Right now, the only place to get help in Lewiston is the hospital. I think sometimes they relapse to have a problem to then go see me in the ER, to then get the help they need. We need to get past that. We don’t have a service here in the Valley just for them.” – Austin Brown, ER Physician at St. Joseph’s in Lewiston, Idaho

There are more than 200 people experiencing homelessness in Idaho’s Region 2, 70% of whom were unsheltered as of 2022. Something we know well here at UGM is that there is no singular and simple explanation or depiction of homelessness. There are various factors, forms, and needs.

“[Homelessness] is a spectrum… See them or not, the homeless people are here. They are already in Lewiston, you just haven’t happened to see them, and I would wager that probably why you haven’t seen them is because homelessness is not what you think it is, by in large.

Sometimes we don’t see the homeless because their meth dealer lets them sleep on their couch. And UGM is coming in with this, like, ‘Hey, we have a place that’s safe. It’s warm, nobody’s going to get hurt here. They’re going to be fed, and we’re going to invite them and walk alongside them and equip them to find a different path for themselves and for their family.’” – Jeff Pernsteiner, Pastor of Confluence Community Church in Clarkston, Washington

Lewiston Police Captain Jeff Klone recognizes this as well, saying,

“Homelessness in the valley is not just one thing. Every person is different.

They’re all unhoused, all homeless, for a variety of reasons, and it’s not just a one-size-fits-all approach.”

THE NEED

We spoke with Captain Klone about the needs of the community in regards to homelessness: “I think probably our biggest issue is just resources. A lot of the homeless people we deal with have some type of mental health issue, and the state of Idaho has created a mobile response team to come and help, but the closest one is in Coeur d’Alene. So, if we have someone who is in any type of crisis, it could take a couple of hours to get here. Also, a lot of people’s perception of homelessness and unhoused people is very different. It’s such a polarizing topic, and it’s tough to get everybody on the same page and a shared focused vision on how to fix it.”

UGM is not only a shelter. We have a holistic approach to healing as we offer recovery programs that get to the root of addiction, trauma-informed counseling, job training and job opportunities, education, and so much more.

“That could be huge for us because it would give us one more resource in this valley that we don’t currently have.”

“One of the biggest concerns is, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ I think that’s probably the biggest misconception everybody has about UGM: ‘Oh great, a homeless shelter.’ But they don’t know all the ins and outs. I think UGM will offer a couple of things we don’t have right now. One is housing. Ten years ago, I would never have thought trying to find housing in Lewiston would be darn near impossible. The ability to give someone a place to stay, and within that, UGM offering them resources and structure—that’s a strong possibility for success that we haven’t had. They are in-house, monitored, and given support. It’s not just a free meal and housing, though that’s part of it, but also giving them a long-term goal. Having where they can see a way out and still have a place in the community is important.”– Captain Jeff Klone, Lewiston Police Department.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

We are so grateful for the relationships we have with businesses and members of the community who understand and support our heart to help vulnerable populations in the area. “It’s hard to leave somebody where they are. That’s why I’m so excited for you to come. It’s like help is coming, because I’m not equipped, but you are… To me, you guys are the life ring.” – Shann Proffitt, Pastor of First Church of God in Clarkston, Washington

“UGM coming to Lewiston is going to be a huge benefit to the LC Valley because we currently have nowhere to send people. I now can give them a phone number, address, and hopefully set up transportation where they can actually go to UGM and get help.” – Austin Brown, ER Physician at St. Joseph’s in Lewiston, Idaho.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

At Union Gospel Mission, our goal is simple yet powerful: to help those who are already in the trenches, hurting, overlooked, and in need of hope.

“Hell is being unleashed in our world, and Jesus dropped His church where hell is being unleashed. And so, for us in how we are engaging in this, that’s very much the heart of what we do and what we understand to be the parable of the good Samaritan. Jesus explained what love looks like as you help people who are bleeding in ditches.” – Jeff Pernsteiner, Pastor of Confluence Community Church in Clarkston, Washington

That active, gritty, and compassionate love is at the heart of our mission. We’re here not just to serve, but to walk alongside those already caught in struggle and pain, offering the hope and healing only Christ can bring.

 “Jesus told us to look after the least of these. This is my way of giving back—our way of giving back. I believe in UGM. I believe in their success stories, I believe in their being faith-based, and I wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone to donate to UGM.”

– Peggy Fulton, community member

We continue to rely on faithful community support and trust that God is moving through every step of
this journey.

Thank you, LC Valley, for welcoming UGM and praying for the lives that will be forever changed within these walls.