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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: November 23, 2016
Almost exactly two years ago, I came to Union Gospel Mission at a time when I was learning what felt like extremely hard (but extravagantly important) lessons. Lessons about God and about myself.
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3 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: November 11, 2016
Military service ran in Ben’s family. Growing up, he planned to follow suit. But first, he wanted to let loose. “I moved to Arizona and I started...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: November 3, 2016
He had the jobs, made the money, wore the nice clothes, had the stuff, but Eric Samuels never quite felt good enough. “I was striving to do good all...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: September 30, 2016
A year ago, you may have seen a beautiful, bright red-haired woman named Rachel on some of UGM’s billboards, with the word "Addict" crossed out. You...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: September 9, 2016
Hopefully, you're seeing new billboards going up around Spokane and Kootenai County similar to the ones we put up last fall. Our “Lose the Label”...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: August 24, 2016
September 2018: This post was first published in August 2016. Since that time, the Crisis Shelter has moved to a new, much improved facility. (Yay!...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: June 23, 2016
The stories of the 33 men and women who graduated from UGM LIFE Recovery on Tuesday are diverse – addiction, unhealthy and broken relationships,...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: June 16, 2016
Upcoming graduates Kat and Kanesha met at the Crisis Shelter. Before coming to UGM, Kat looked to material things – money, houses, cars – for her...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: June 2, 2016
“I remember asking Rich [UGM former staff member], ‘Why is it so much easier for women to make a commitment to guys they hardly know than to make a...
3 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: May 27, 2016
As an intern on the UGM Student Impact Team, Adam has taught, mentored, and led youth at UGM shelters, local high schools, and Juvenile Detention....
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: May 24, 2016
These days, millennials get a bad rap. They’re called lazy, selfish, rude. But when it comes to the millennials on the UGM Student Impact Team, these...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: May 13, 2016
As a young kid, Zola lived with her mom, homeless in Compton, surrounded by an environment of drugs and prostitution. “I remember one time, because...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: May 10, 2016
Turns out, coffee may just empower youth to avoid the cycle of poverty, homelessness, and addiction. UGM is teaming up with Project Hope and Indaba...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: April 20, 2016
At UGM, we believe that the gospel has power to transform lives. Conformity to a set of rules alone doesn’t work. Real change happens from the inside...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: April 15, 2016
Ironically, victims of abuse often take responsibility for the violence inflicted upon them. The result is deep shame. Ann Williams embodied this...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: April 1, 2016
“The drug was my god. It consumed my mind, nothing else mattered.” Jeff LeBlanc was heavy into meth for many years, self-described as “the tweaker of...
3 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 22, 2016
Ron James’ story is one of those unbelievable, too-good-to-be-true tales of a bad man turned good. When he was 31, he murdered his ex-girlfriend and...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 18, 2016
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” Samantha Ehli experienced...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 8, 2016
By Merrily Brast, UGM Staff Writer There was a time when Chris Turner had his life together. He kept out of trouble and was confident in his career....
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: January 29, 2016
Always Numbing JR Mills first started drinking at 14 with her mom who was an alcoholic. In high school, a friend offered her meth. “I was addicted...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: January 16, 2016
“Addict” is like a bright red, sticky label that obscures the person behind it. It’s as though nothing else about the person matters. She’s an...
1 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: January 7, 2016
Jack Kendrick has a huge heart for helping those in need. Following his wife’s death and a cancer diagnosis, he experienced hopelessness in life. A...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: December 22, 2015
“What did Christmas look like in the past?” “I never had a Christmas…I did growing up, I had Christmas cause my mom made it. But as I got deeper and...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: December 8, 2015
“When you know that you’re bad, you always feel like you’re doing something wrong.” After meeting her biological parents and realizing her mother and...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: December 3, 2015
Growing up, Stefani Martin was bombarded with the message, "you are not enough." Not cool enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough. It didn’t take...
