Skip to the main content.
Donate Need help?
Donate Need help?

LIFE
at the
Mission

Inside stories of hope,
courage, and recovery



Sign Up Today

Jim and Ken

4 min read

The Gospel: Where life transformation begins

You’ve probably heard us say it before, but we don’t want there to be any mistake: UGM cannot change a person’s heart. Only God can do that. True life transformation begins with a heart change, and that’s why we’re so committed to the gospel...

Read More

4 min read

What I learned from my homeless guests

Last fall, just before Thanksgiving, a couple acquaintances of mine were on the verge of homelessness. It was crazy timing. They didn’t know each...

Read More

4 min read

Louise: My Relationship with Christ Is My Purpose

Louise is disciplined and faithful in her relationship with the Lord. She reads her Bible every day and keeps a list of things she is grateful for—a...

Read More

3 min read

Standing in Unity

In honor of Black History Month, we’re turning the blog over to three men for whom we have tremendous respect.

Read More

5 min read

Journey of Faith: Clai's Story

Clai, who works in the kitchen at the UGM Men’s Shelter, has come to have a deep and dynamic relationship with God. God has placed him in a job in...

Read More

5 min read

The Negative Split: Run for Recovery

UPDATE: Due to COVID-19, the Negative Split has been postponed until September 27. “Start strong. Finish stronger.” That’s the tagline for the...

Read More

4 min read

The 'Whole Person' Approach to Recovery

Dr. John Wolfe’s family has partnered with UGM in one way or another for decades. His father was an advocate for getting medical clinics at UGM...

Read More

6 min read

Serving with Humility: the Volunteer Case Manager Team

During my first couple of weeks as the Staff Writer at Union Gospel Mission, I was tasked with helping interview seven volunteer case managers who...

Read More

5 min read

Generosity at UGM Thrift Stores

Laurie Johnson, “L.J.,” as she’s called at the UGM Thrift Store, is as dedicated a volunteer as they come. Over the years, she has volunteered with a...

Read More

3 min read

Ministry in a Thrift Store

Meet Jaclyn, Manager at the UGM Downtown Thrift Store By Christy Zapata, UGM Volunteer - Although she couldn't see it at the time, God had been...

Read More

3 min read

The Power of a Generous Community

The Union Gospel Mission exists because of an extensive community of people like you. People who recognize that they have been blessed and want to...

Read More

5 min read

Behind the Scenes with Mary Beth Salisbury

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” – Proverbs 16:9, NLT Mary Beth Salisbury’s upbringing could seem like it has a...

Read More
Artboard 6 copy

4 min read

2020 Vision: Justice, Mercy and Humility

"He has told you, O man, what is good; a nd what does the Lord require of you, b ut to do justice, to love kindness, a nd to walk humbly with your...

Read More
mary-and-jesus

2 min read

Adventus-the Arrival of Jesus

The already brimming schedules and to-do lists most of us carry are magnified and exacerbated during the holidays. Even as the American “holiday...

Read More
goodgirl-1

6 min read

Confessions of a Good Girl

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” – 1 John 1:8. I have pretty much always been a good girl. I grew up...

Read More
2L7A6102-sm

5 min read

Dusty's Second Chance

By Lynn Yount, UGM volunteer - At the UGM Thrift Store in Spokane Valley, you'll find more than bargains on high-quality clothing and housewares....

Read More
Jess-4918

3 min read

Meet Jessica, UGM Art Director

By Christy Zapata, UGM volunteer - Although you may not know her face, you likely know her work. Meet Jessica, UGM Art Director. Jessica is the...

Read More
2L7A5289-sm

4 min read

Breaking Bread at UGM

“Breaking bread – it’s a community thing” – Bethany Kuhn, UGM sous chef. Food is about so much more than food. It symbolizes grace, warmth,...

Read More
Here at UGM, we talk a lot about the reverberations that go out from one changed life.

1 min read

The Source of Change

Here at UGM, we talk a lot about the reverberations that go out from one changed life. A mother who becomes the parent her children need affects...

Read More
debra-2

5 min read

We Need Each Other: The Cure for Loneliness

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” – Psalm 25:16 For decades, Debra was a self-described “functioning drunk,”...

Read More
AdobeStock_60945165

4 min read

Loneliness and Isolation

“Humans connect to other humans at so basic a level that when we disconnect, our souls shatter into a thousand little pieces.” – Peter Leithart When...

Read More
James baptism 2

3 min read

Thanking God for Real Change

During November, a lot of people take time to reflect on gratitude. We see our friends making daily social media posts expressing specific things...

Read More
John-R-featured

4 min read

Toward Better Relief and Development

Last week, we posted Pastor John Repsold’s explanation of the differences between relief and development when it comes to addressing homelessness....

Read More
John-Repsold-1

4 min read

Relief vs. Development: Diagnosing Causes

Editor’s Note: Pastor John Repsold, whose downtown Spokane church Mosaic Fellowship includes ministry to people experiencing homelessness, presented...

Read More