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LIFE
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Inside stories of hope,
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Jim and Ken
foot washing

4 min read

UGM Core Value: Christlikeness

By Sonny Westbrook, UGM Director of Ministries One of the core values we hold dear here within UGM is Christ-likeness. Christ-likeness is the standard for our attitudes and actions within our ministry community. We measure our words and deeds by...

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4 min read

Stories within a Story

My title is Director of Marketing & Communications, but my job is telling stories. For almost nine years, in one way or another, I’ve been...

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1 min read

The Faithful Team

Roberta, Kathi, and Ginger - lovingly referred to by the Center staff as the "faithful team" - earned their nickname because of their dedication to...

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2 min read

Heart to Heart: Compassion and Accountability

After 30 years in homeless ministry, you'd think I would have it all figured out, that I could coast along to retirement. I'm chuckling at the...

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4 min read

Terminal Uniqueness

By Mike Doggett, UGM Aftercare Manager In 1994, I white knuckled it! I was told that I had a drinking problem, and rather than accept this prognosis,...

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6 min read

World Homeless Day 2016

Each year, UGM tries to do something to mark this day – 10/10 – something to say, We see you. We’re paying attention. For the last two years, we’ve...

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3 min read

Volunteers: Rivers of Living Water

In many ways, volunteers make UGM’s world go ‘round. They help with everything from case management to medical care to chapel. In 2015, approximately...

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3 min read

UGM Core Value: Unified Teamwork

By Gayle Havercroft, UGM Facilities Manager There are many terms and words that give aspects to the idea of “team.” While other terms are useful, I...

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3 min read

Rachel: A Year Later

A year ago, you may have seen a beautiful, bright red-haired woman named Rachel on some of UGM’s billboards, with the word "Addict" crossed out. You...

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3 min read

UGM Core Value: God-dependence

By JoAnn Zajicek, Director at the Center for Women and Children During monthly staff meetings at UGM's Center for Women and Children, team members...

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3 min read

How a New Kidney Helped Me Better Understand Recovery

When Tiffany, Director of Vocational Advancement, discovered she needed a kidney transplant, finding a willing donor was no easy task. After waiting...

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3 min read

UGM Core Value: Stewardship

By Wil Wilhelm, former UGM Director of Development How many times have you heard a Sunday message at church about stewardship and the main point was...

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3 min read

A Burden of Light

Dan Eylar, a technician at Union Gospel Mission Motors, knows cars. He's worked on them professionally for more than 30 years, so he's seen just...

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Phil-3

2 min read

Heart to Heart: The Heart has Eyes

Sometimes we are blind. The problem (for most of us) isn’t with the function of our actual eyeballs, the cornea or the retina or the optical nerve....

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1 min read

Partner Profile: The Beldens

Serving meals at a California rescue mission several years ago made a lasting impression on Jerry and Stephanie Belden. So much so that, when they...

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3 min read

The Journey toward Recovery

Recently, five men completed the UGM LIFE Recovery program. Each came to the Mission broken and found healing. These men shared about their journeys...

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2 min read

Lose the Label, See the Human.

Hopefully, you're seeing new billboards going up around Spokane and Kootenai County similar to the ones we put up last fall. Our “Lose the Label”...

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3 min read

Kids in Recovery

A couple months ago, a staff member at the Crisis Shelter wrote a blog on what it’s like living at a homeless shelter as a kid. In response to that...

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2 min read

Camp Reflection: Kids Like Us

UGM Camp is over for the summer, but it's worth ruminating on those marvelous eight weeks a little longer. (Unfortunately, the last week of camp was...

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3 min read

The Crisis Shelter: Many Stories, One Home

Thousands of women and children have found solace at the Crisis Shelter since it opened in January 2007. They come from all walks of life. Some have...

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2 min read

Learning Life Lessons at Camp

By Ryan Brown, UGM Youth Outreach Director “Can I keep Him?” asked Marquise as he came walking towards me with a small Styrofoam cup. As I glanced...

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Kat and mom

4 min read

Comforting with the Comfort She Received

September 2018: This post was first published in August 2016. Since that time, the Crisis Shelter has moved to a new, much improved facility. (Yay!...

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4 min read

What Can Prayer Do in the Face of So Much Pain?

By Ron Hauenstein, Crisis Shelter volunteer "What have we begun, when we pray like this? What have we done? Can we ever know – what seeds we sow,...

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3 min read

Following His Lead: Kristen

“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4b As assistant manager at the downtown UGM Thrift Store, Kristen Nitschke works...

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3 min read

Employment Helps the Homeless

By Gabe Shippam, Director of Men's Rescue Work Ends Homelessness Years ago, I started a ministry in the worst neighborhood in San Diego. Daily, more...

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