Finding Opportunity, Finding Something Lasting

At Union Gospel Mission, we understand that meeting urgent needs—food, shelter, medical care, and job training—is just the beginning. These are the first steps. But our ultimate goal is to offer something lasting: the gospel of Jesus Christ. True and lasting transformation begins when the light of God’s truth reaches into the deepest, most broken places of the human heart.

In October 2019, Ken arrived at the UGM Men’s Shelter with nothing, having just finished serving a 20-month sentence for taking justice into his own hands. He was, in his own words, a “high-functioning meth addict.” Outwardly successful but inwardly shattered, he surrounded himself with chaos and toxicity. Deep down, he knew something had to change, but he wasn’t ready to admit it.

Ken had passed through UGM once before, in 2016. He completed the Employment Ready Program and managed to find stability. But back then, he had only addressed the surface issues. “When I came back, my plan was simple: get a place, get a job, and go buy meth. That was my mindset.” What Ken didn’t realize was that God was already working beneath the surface. “To be honest with you,” he said,

“I think everybody needs that LIFE Recovery program.

If I'd known I'd be here this long, I would have gone for it.”

Ken recalls Joe Marsch reaching out and suggesting he pray about entering recovery. “I told him, ‘I don’t pray. I don’t believe in praying. God didn’t care about me, so why should I care about Him?’” But one Saturday night, he did pray. “I finally said, ‘Lord, I don’t know what’s happening right now, but I need Your help.’”

Ken entered the Life Recovery program and never looked back. “It’s given me the tools that I need to survive. The tools to go forward in my recovery…The biggest impact is that it’s given me God. I didn’t know that He loved me…but the reality is now I know He does. Through counseling, therapeutic groups, community life, and spiritual mentorship, the gospel began to rewire Ken’s heart. He started to recognize the destructive patterns that had controlled him for years and learn new ways of thinking and living.

“I began to understand what ‘healthy’ actually looked like. God started

to show me a better way—to trust His plan instead of chasing my own

success. To live in a way that glorifies Him instead of glorifying me.”

Ken completed the program in 2022 and joined the team at UGM Thrift Stores, where he still works today. He’s sober, rebuilding his relationship with his daughter, and taking life one day at a time.

“Staying in recovery is my number one priority. I’m trusting God to open doors with my family. I don’t want to force anything—I just want to follow whatever He has for me. I’m content where He’s placed me. He’s made a path for me, and it’s so much better than the one I was on.”

At UGM, our prayer is that each resident doesn't just hear the gospel—but experiences it. We want them to know the mercy, the unfailing love, and the transforming power of Christ from the inside out.

“I owe it all to God. God’s given me UGM to give me the tools and get me in the right spot.”

Check out this video to learn more about how Ken found healing, hope, and new opportunity through working at our UGM enterprises. Learn more about our enterprises and how UGM residents receive job training and opportunities, education, and long-term support.