5 min read
Walking Where the Pain Is
In Clarkston, WA, Pastor Jeff Pernsteiner leads Confluence Community Church with a passion rooted in both deep faith and deep compassion. “We started...
Following the death of their daughter, caring for women became a top priority for Blondies Salon Owners Marie and Rene’ Lacroix.
“After she passed away, many women came to my husband and me in person or over the phone or by letter telling us how much she had helped them when they needed some sort of help. And so, we wanted to do something in her honor.”
Each year, in her daughter’s memory, Blondie’s Salon holds a fundraiser. Partnering with the Coeur d’Alene community, they raffle off tickets from their “Tree of Hope.” Proceeds turn into living, breathing hope for women and children in crisis through UGM in Coeur d’Alene.
“When we first started this [fundraiser], we would ask women who had gone into the shelter or who had been abused or whatever, ‘What’s the one thing you hang on to?’ And they all said, ‘Hope.’
“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.”
Marie added that by caring for those at the Center, Coeur d’Alene as a whole becomes better.
“The women can get out into society and contribute back.”
It’s because of Marie and others like her that the men, women, and children coming to UGM feel supported and loved as they travel along the path of recovery, and the support they experience gives them real hope.
5 min read
In Clarkston, WA, Pastor Jeff Pernsteiner leads Confluence Community Church with a passion rooted in both deep faith and deep compassion. “We started...
3 min read
Kailee and Kyle Miller were born and raised in Spokane, WA, and they deeply care for their city. Three years ago, they received a UGM mailer asking...
2 min read
The 2025 Life Recovery commencees have journeyed through deep valleys of struggle and hardship. Yet, with resilience and grace, they have emerged...
UGM received a remarkable gift when Nurse Practitioner Lorna Schumann joined the Medical Clinics as a volunteer.
Do you remember the darkest dark you’ve ever experienced? I know I do.