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Merrily Roe, former staff writer

Jim and Ken
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2 min read

Learning about Grace and Truth

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

One Veteran's Journey to a Homeless Shelter

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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2 min read

Lose the Label: Performer

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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3 min read

Rachel: A Year Later

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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2 min read

Lose the Label, See the Human.

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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4 min read

Comforting with the Comfort She Received

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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2 min read

Celebrating Beauty from Pain

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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1 min read

Graduation Spotlight: Kat and Kanesha

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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1 min read

Graduation Spotlight: Wendy Ross

“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...

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3 min read

Empowering Youth: Adam

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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2 min read

Empowering Youth: Christa

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...

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2 min read

It Started at UGM Camp

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...

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2 min read

Spokane Barista Academy

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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1 min read

The Gospel Changes Things (and People)

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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2 min read

Lose the Label: Ashamed

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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2 min read

Lose the Label: Tweaker

“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...

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3 min read

When You Can't Undo What You've Done

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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2 min read

New Creation in Christ

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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2 min read

Lose the Label: Druggie

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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3 min read

Lose the Label: Powerless

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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2 min read

Lose the Label: Addict

“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...

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1 min read

Providing Hope (and Fun) for Women and Children

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...

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2 min read

No Place like UGM for the Holidays

“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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1 min read

Lose the Label: Damaged Goods

“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...

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2 min read

Lose the Label: Not Enough

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...

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