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Jim and Ken
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 the following at the 2019 World Homeless Day Summit. We appreciate his sharing his notes with Impact...

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Gwen and kids-feature

2 min read

You are the solution to homelessness.

I wanted to title this post, "Why you (and not the government) are the answer to homelessness," but my web specialist says 50 characters is my limit.

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bw-homeless man-2

2 min read

We Believe...

You may have seen a television commercial for UGM this fall that starts out, “We believe…” In these somewhat acrimonious times, amid heated debate...

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steve-palmer

3 min read

A Look Inside Men’s Recovery

By Christy Zapata, UGM volunteer - A key component of the UGM’s approach to fighting homelessness is addiction recovery. The 20-month residential...

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homeless-guy

4 min read

Love Your Homeless Neighbor

“If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like...

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CdA-shower-3.2019

2 min read

UGM Auxiliary: Prayer, Presence and Projects

“From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its...

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Strandys

1 min read

Jim and Cheryl Strandy: Investing in Change

“We are firm believers in organizations that take the time to change people’s lives.” – Jim Strandy

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2L7A2595

3 min read

We're Celebrating Real People Making Real Change.

Why a fall campaign? This blog post is meant to give you a glimpse behind the fundraising curtain at UGM. As a faith-based, non-profit organization...

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2L7A4274-1

3 min read

Recovery: The Hardest Work

We use a lot of terms to describe the addiction recovery program at UGM: Christ-centered, holistic, long-term, deep-down healing, etc. One word...

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featured-3

4 min read

The Greatest Stories Ever Towed

You may have noticed a recurring theme on the Impact Blog: Everybody who works at UGM is in ministry. Whether in maintenance, payroll, the kitchen or...

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Mike-Doggett_FINAL

5 min read

The Heart of Lifelong Recovery

By Mike Doggett, former Aftercare Manager - A little over 21 years ago, I consumed my last drink of alcohol and went on what has proved to be a very...

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jolene

2 min read

How UGM Does On-the-Job Training

Work is a huge piece of recovery. Just participating in constructive activities in a team is a valuable growth opportunity, especially for people who...

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lamb

4 min read

Who is Jesus?

If you want to learn about a person, ask someone who has known and loved them for many years. We asked UGM’s staff pastor Sonny Westbrook, who has...

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dale

4 min read

Recovery in the Kitchen

“As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.” – I Peter 4:10 Dale Fruin...

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Trevor and Winston-feature

2 min read

UGM Camp: God Answers Simple Prayers

By Christa Hughes, Youth Outreach - We count the little successes. We hold fast to the hope that God is working in the hearts of children. It can be...

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nick-fewings-1155069-unsplash

5 min read

Is Housing the Answer to Homelessness?

In her article “Does Poverty Cause Homelessness?” Marchauna Rodgers argued that the United States has misdiagnosed the problem of homelessness,...

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seeking human kindness

4 min read

Christianity and the Debate about Homelessness

With homelessness front and center in the public forum of late, Christians have a strong contribution to make. We believe in some radically...

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Aeriell Heather Kelly Amy running

3 min read

Running on the Road to Recovery

What in the world do running and homelessness have to do with each other? You might be surprised.

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Nicholas-Walker-RAW

3 min read

The Real Poverty of Relationships

“I was King of the Park.” From one point of view, Nicholas Walker had everything you might want: Prestige, respect, and power in his community. Not...

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mike-headshot-1

6 min read

It Won’t Be Different This Time

Editor’s note: Mike Doggett, UGM’s Aftercare Manager, addressed the recovery participants at a recent phase-up celebration in UGM Women’s Recovery....

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Christi and kids-cover

3 min read

Lifelong Recovery

Five years. It takes five years actively pursuing recovery for an addict to have a strong chance (about 85%) of lifelong recovery. Five years minus...

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Phil at forum

2 min read

Homelessness: Defining the Problem

In his book “When Helping Hurts,” Dr. Brian Fikkert explains the far-reaching consequences of defining poverty incorrectly. He likens it to a doctor...

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Officer Jake Willard and fellow Officer Dale Wells are only allowed to enforce illegal camping laws when there is shelter space available.

6 min read

Cleaning up Homeless Encampments

The Spokane Police Department is piloting a new approach to dealing with homeless encampments. The idea is to clean up the camps while also offering...

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Dec

5 min read

3 Ways Student Impact Gives Kids a Family

“This is literally our home. And three times a week, we invite 12 to 20 high-schoolers in.” That’s a succinct way to describe Impact Nights at the...

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Marchauna

4 min read

Does Poverty Cause Homelessness?

Editor's note: In addition to being a wife, mother of eight children, a staff member with Cru, and a graduate student, Marchauna Rodgers is a...

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