4 min read
In Everything, Give Thanks
Thanks to Sonny, our wise and beloved staff pastor, for kicking off a mini-series about gratitude on the Impact Blog during this season of Thanksgiving!
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4 min read
Thanks to Sonny, our wise and beloved staff pastor, for kicking off a mini-series about gratitude on the Impact Blog during this season of Thanksgiving!
Read More2 min read
If you had a bunch of money in the bank with your name on it but didn’t know about the account, what good would it do you? That’s the situation for...
6 min read
The inimitable Dean Whisler just marked 10 years working at the UGM Men’s Shelter, where he’s now the Social Services Manager. We asked him a few...
2 min read
“You work at the Union Gospel Mission? Do you know Dave Wall?” I can’t count how many times I’ve heard this. Everybody knows Dave, and Dave knows...
4 min read
As a kid, I sat on a stool countless times and watched my mom prepare dinner. She didn’t love cooking and wasn’t thrilled to have an idle audience,...
2 min read
Perhaps you saw one of our volunteers holding a sign that said #EndHomelessness or Homeless Human on World Homeless Day. And you’re wondering just...
5 min read
You might be asking: Why is UGM making such a big deal of World Homeless Day? How does a day devoted to homelessness really help anything? Actually,...
3 min read
Dr. Ward Merkeley has a soft spot for people in need. Working as an emergency room physician for more than two decades at Providence Holy Family...
2 min read
Recently I was asked what I love best about my job. I could have said writing. I have wanted to be a writer since my second grade teacher, Mrs....
2 min read
“Not here, not here – not tiny, bucolic, safe Freeman, where the schools and the store are just about the whole town. Not here.” Those words from...
4 min read
Karen Herford brings high energy and broad experience to her new role as volunteer coordinator at the Crisis Shelter for Women and Children. We asked...
2 min read
In our last blog post from UGM Camp 2017, we’re reminded of one of the key ingredients for many of the life transformations we see at UGM: time....
3 min read
Each person who comes into UGM recovery comes in broken. The program extends the love of Christ and brings his truth to bear on their brokenness. As...
1 min read
By Shatara Flowers, Student Impact Center resident intern - A year ago I would have never imagined I’d be in such a place, experiencing life in such...
2 min read
By Danielle DePace, Youth Outreach Administrative Assistant - 10-year-old Leo could be seen wandering by himself away from the rest of the campers,...
4 min read
Of course, thrift stores are cool. Napoleon Dynamite and Macklemore told (and rapped) us that. Thrift is also a smart and environmentally friendly...
4 min read
By Annie Crain, Youth Outreach volunteer - “I must be the luckiest boy in the whole world!” These were some of the sweetest words I’ve ever heard....
6 min read
“I didn’t know how to leave.” Rachael met Josh in a support group meeting. They were both on the right path – it must be destiny, right? “I had 30...
4 min read
By James "Rocky" Curtiss - Strangely enough, Gary Leonard’s commitment to volunteering at UGM started with a pillow. UGM had put out a newsletter...
2 min read
By Danielle DePace, former Youth Outreach administrative assistant - Looking at Hailey, you would think that she’s like any other 13-year-old,...
4 min read
We talked about trauma recovery and why it’s important for people like Jocelyne in July’s Mission News. On one hand, it’s complicated: family...
2 min read
Writing is one of the key subjects we work on in our Vocational Education classes. We want to prepare our residents to communicate well in their...
5 min read
Every industry develops its own lingo. Shelters and recovery programs are no exception. We talk about “old wounds” and “relapse” and “triggers.” Our...
2 min read
“I ended up on the streets, homeless and literally sleeping outside, and UGM offered a place to stay. It’s better than not having a roof over your...
4 min read
In the Business of Giving Back - Jason McSteen gives where he does business. Looking at him today – married, prosperous, the owner of a successful...