5 min read
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director: June 29, 2017
Every industry develops its own lingo. Shelters and recovery programs are no exception. We talk about “old wounds” and “relapse” and “triggers.” Our discussions revolve around “underlying causes” and “heart” talk, advocating “total accountability”...
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2 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: June 22, 2017
“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
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: June 14, 2017
In the Business of Giving Back - Jason McSteen gives where he does business. Looking at him today – married, prosperous, the owner of a successful...
6 min read
Union Gospel Mission: June 7, 2017
You may notice we’ve changed the name of the annual event we used to call "graduation," and here’s why: The former name gave the impression that...
2 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: June 1, 2017
I recently bought a 2003 Honda Element with 127,000 miles at UGM Motors for $6,700. I looked around a bit on Craigslist first, but I didn’t go to any...
3 min read
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director: May 26, 2017
The recent tension between the City of Spokane and Blessings Under the Bridge actually points to a positive bottom line: Spokane is an extremely...
5 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: May 16, 2017
Heidi Hash had the chance to give a priceless gift. It wouldn’t cost her money, but it would require a huge investment of time, energy – and faith....
4 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: May 9, 2017
The numbers are hard to nail down, but they’re sobering any way you look at them. These are the best estimates we could formulate from the numbers we...
3 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: May 3, 2017
Yesterday, the Engage! Work Seminar kicked off for the folks in the UGM recovery programs: People in the latter phases of the program preparing to...
4 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: April 27, 2017
Courage was on display at Tuesday’s phase promotion celebration for the Men’s Recovery program. For one thing, it isn’t easy for anyone to admit they...
5 min read
Union Gospel Mission: April 20, 2017
Heather Pollock wrote this blog post while in Women's Recovery at Anna Ogden Hall. Since it was first published in 2017, Heather has been living in...
5 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: April 15, 2017
We’re all looking for the easiest way to change things about ourselves – our weight, our wrinkles, our temper, our energy level, our children, our...
3 min read
Union Gospel Mission: April 13, 2017
In the last blog post, we talked about the paralysis and shame some people experience as adults because of their perceived failures in the past....
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4 min read
Union Gospel Mission: April 6, 2017
When trauma and schoolwork intersect By Joel Brown, UGM Director of Ministries It is 9:25 in the morning and Billy (named changed to protect privacy)...
4 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: March 23, 2017
I was part of a brainstorming session about how to get the word out about UGM’s relatively new Recovery for Life weekly 12-step meetings. From a...
4 min read
Union Gospel Mission: March 21, 2017
As spring begins, we thank God for light – more sunshine and longer days. They aren’t just conveniences. They remind us, after the cold and darkness...
3 min read
Union Gospel Mission: March 16, 2017
Gratitude to the Rescue By Gwen Schwartz Since joining the UGM ministry team almost two years ago as the Director of Ministry Advancement, God has...
5 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: March 15, 2017
Serious mental illness. It’s a tough topic. But when we exist to serve the homeless, we simply cannot ignore it. As we mentioned in a previous post,...
6 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: March 9, 2017
Editor's note: Barbara opened up about her struggle with depression in the last post. Here, she follows up with the practical ways she manages that...
4 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: March 7, 2017
By Barbara Comito, Director of Marketing & Communications I once interviewed a teenager who described her depression as a “blanket on the brain.” The...
3 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: March 2, 2017
Editor’s note: Recently we’ve been talking about mental struggles on the Impact Blog. From insomnia to trauma and addiction, there are many struggles...
2 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: March 1, 2017
It’s hard to talk about homelessness without talking about mental illness. An oft-quoted estimate suggests that as many as one-third of homeless...
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4 min read
Lynn Yount, UGM Volunteer: February 16, 2017
When Joe Marsh came in for a job interview, it was his first time inside the Union Gospel Mission. Looking across the common area, the Men’s Shelter...
4 min read
Union Gospel Mission: February 14, 2017
This month on the Impact Blog, we’re looking at issues of the mind: sadness, depression, anxiety, mental illness, darkness vs. light. There’s a wide...
4 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: February 10, 2017
Recently we ran a series on God’s love for the poor which, in my mind at least, begs the question: “How does he feel about the rich?” Does he love...
