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LIFE
at the
Mission

Inside stories of hope,
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Jim and Ken
Mike and mentor Tim

Take Action: Become a Mentor

With your help, UGM creates a strong community where people receive grace and feel accepted and loved. However, the men and women in recovery can’t stay in our shelters forever, and they need trustworthy people to come alongside them as they...

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1 min read

Caring for Women and Children

Russ Henderson isn’t letting his age get in the way of helping those in need. At 91, he’s an avid supporter of the women and children at Anna Ogden...

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1 min read

Church Connections: Heart of the City

Raydeane Owens, lead pastor at Heart of the City Church in Coeur d’Alene, recently described why the church believes it’s important to welcome those...

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2 min read

I resolve to grow

By Merrily Brast, former staff writer I have always wanted to be tall. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wished for the long legs and arms that...

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1 min read

Providing Hope (and Fun) for Women and Children

Jack Kendrick has a huge heart for helping those in need. Following his wife’s death and a cancer diagnosis, he experienced hopelessness in life. A...

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2 min read

Meet INW People

By Barbara Comito, Director of Marketing and Communications Stories. That’s my one-word answer for why I do what I do.

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4 min read

The Ever-Present God

In part one of this sermon from Ron Pyle, professor at Whitworth University, he explained why as Christians, we don’t need to live in fear. Ron...

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3 min read

The God Who Is with Us

The past year has been one of sadness in many ways. Tragedy happened throughout the Northwest, the nation, and the world, and fear is the word – in...

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2 min read

No Place like UGM for the Holidays

“What did Christmas look like in the past?” “I never had a Christmas…I did growing up, I had Christmas cause my mom made it. But as I got deeper and...

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3 min read

The Incarnation: Our Salvation

By Sonny Westbrook, UGM Ministries Director We have come to the season of the year when many people, in some way or another, acknowledge the birth of...

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4 min read

What I Know

Editor's note: This month, Phil Altmeyer is celebrating 30 years at the helm of the Union Gospel Mission. During his tenure, the organization has...

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1 min read

Lose the Label: Damaged Goods

“When you know that you’re bad, you always feel like you’re doing something wrong.” After meeting her biological parents and realizing her mother and...

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2 min read

Lose the Label: Not Enough

Growing up, Stefani Martin was bombarded with the message, "you are not enough." Not cool enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough. It didn’t take...

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2 min read

Lose the Label: Chronically Homeless

Troy is a likable guy with a quick smile. He learned and remembered my name the first time I met him, and ever since then, if I pass him – even if...

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2 min read

Rachel - Not a Party Girl

IN HER PURSUIT OF PLEASURE, Rachel lost her joy. Disillusioned with the church, she ran away from God and became disconnected from family. “In the...

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2 min read

The Root of Our Joy

This sentence from the cover story struck me: “The day after Rachel was baptized, she received news that her father’s cancer had returned for the...

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1 min read

In Gratitude for God's Gifts

We asked staff, volunteers and residents to share a few of thoughts on gratitude.

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4 min read

Lose the Label: Felon

By Barbara Comito, UGM Director of Marketing & Communications For most of his 49 years, Keith Kautzman had a pattern of behavior: Whenever difficulty...

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1 min read

Anna Ogden Hall Women Walk the Runway

By Valerie Horner, UGM Volunteer This year’s Spokane-Eastern WA Chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS Wellness Celebration and Rally decided to...

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1 min read

Lose the Label: Perfectionist

By Lynn Swanbom Yount, UGM Volunteer Becky Morelan knows about life in the fast lane. Her sales career was a successful one, and she worked hard to...

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2 min read

Honoring Those Who Have Fought for Freedom

While 2015 Point-in-Time Count numbers for the nation showed an overall decrease in veteran homelessness, the statistic for homeless veterans in...

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3 min read

Homelessness: It's About People

Editor's Note: This blog post is part of a series on homelessness. Part 1 explained the magnitude and complexity of the problem. Part 2 was a story...

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Homeless man

4 min read

Helping the Homeless: bad news first

Editor's Note: This blog post was first pubished on December 12, 2013 and has been thoroughly updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It's part...

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