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LIFE
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Inside stories of hope,
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Jim and Ken
Residents in UGM programs are urged to connect their career path with their passions, something our Business Partners have made possible time and again. Meaningful work is a cornerstone of recovery.

2 min read

Partnering to Get People Back to Work

Work is a key ingredient in the effort to break the cycle of homelessness, abuse, and addiction. And while you’ll find current and former residents working throughout the ministries and enterprises of Union Gospel Mission, we know only a handful of...

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3 min read

God Incarnate: Total vulnerability and perfect peace

Imagine placing your greatest treasure—a treasure on which the fate of the world rests—into the hands of someone who had never had a job, never lived...

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2 min read

Christmas at UGM: A warm welcome into a community that cares

The snow has come, the days are nearly at their shortest, and Christmas is right around the corner. But what is Christmas if you’re homeless? Is...

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Phil Altmeyer

2 min read

As a Mother Loves Her Child: A heart-to-heart message from Phil Altmeyer

“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13) For the past ten years, I’ve been teaching the UGM women’s Bible study. I...

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His Song

1 min read

The Gift of Song: How a UGM chapel provider offers more than a church service

“We tell people we’re not here to perform; we’re here to worship,” says His Song president Joel DeVries. His Song is a men’s gospel singing group...

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3 min read

A Pathway to a Better Life: How Brianna and Daisy found hope together

“I took the path that would get me to her as soon as possible.” - Brianna, UGM Women's Recovery This season is one that turns our thoughts toward...

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2 min read

Healing from Addiction: Shanena's written testimony

Shanena (pronounced Shane-na) completed UGM Women's LIFE Recovery at the Center for Women and Children in Spring 2022 and recently reached out to...

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5 min read

Valuable and Worthy: Debra’s Journey Toward Holistic Recovery

“For a couple years, I was running the streets. Had lost my job, my kids, my house, everything.” Although 2017 and 2018 were two of the hardest years...

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There is Hope

3 min read

Where There Is Breath, There Is Hope: Hear From UGM Shelter Guests

If you’ve never experienced homelessness or a debilitating addiction, chances are you’ve struggled knowing what to say to someone in the midst of...

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6 min read

Recovery for Children: How the TBRI Model Offers Healing for Broken Families

“When you can connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible.” - Dr. Karyn Purvis, co-creator of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® Family...

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Homelessness Today

2 min read

Homelessness Today: Why Housing First Isn't Working

Each year, as the November elections approach, our staff members and volunteers are often asked about the homeless crisis in Spokane. Why is the...

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4 min read

Staff Feature: What Turns “Shelter” Into “Home”?

Everyone needs a roof over their head, but is “home” something more than shelter? As we strive to reach all our neighbors experiencing homelessness,...

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2 min read

Heart to Heart with Phil Altmeyer: Louder Than Words

The articles in our recent newsletter are all about words—words that changed the course of people’s lives, words they want to speak into the lives of...

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Lorna

1 min read

Providing Peace in Crisis: A Medical Volunteer Feature

UGM received a remarkable gift when Nurse Practitioner Lorna Schumann joined the Medical Clinics as a volunteer.

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What I really needed

4 min read

“What I really needed…” Former Addicts Discuss the Choice to Change.

We know people need love. People need a safe community, connections to housing, medical care, and jobs. They need to know they’re not alone, they’re...

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4 min read

Homelessness Today: Why It’s Hard to Accept Help

Think for a moment about a time when you faced a life-altering choice. The hours and days before the decision can feel like you’re staring down two...

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2 min read

UGM Camp: Kids Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, Abuse, and Addiction

Every summer, UGM partners with local churches to invite at-risk children from Spokane's low-income neighborhoods to enjoy a week at UGM's riverside...

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3 min read

UGM Church Partners: Raising Kids to Serve

Churches and youth groups all across the Inland Northwest (and beyond!) are using summer break as an opportunity to teach young people to see and...

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4 min read

Employment Training in a Culture of Recovery

Helping our guests put an end to their homelessness is never as simple as just finding them employment. Before being able to land a job, many require...

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4 min read

Am I Enough?

Am I Enough? Absolutely not. And absolutely yes. It’s a paradox: a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when...

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2 min read

The Best Camp in the Solar System

"UGM Camp is the best camp in the solar system!" Alanna, UGM Camper The 2022 camp season is in full swing, and we just can't wait another day to...

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5 min read

Is Housing the Answer to Homelessness?

Has America misdiagnosed the problem of homelessness? In her article “Does Poverty Cause Homelessness?” Marchauna Rodgers argues that we have. She...

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5 min read

What Does It Take to Walk out of Homelessness and Addiction?

Summer is a time of celebration at UGM. At the annual LIFE Recovery Commencement, we honor the most recent participants who have reached the end of...

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3 min read

Rose: Rising to the Challenge of Recovery

“Drugs all day long. Meth.” Rose fell into addiction in her late twenties, and for the next 32 years, her life was defined by loss, loneliness and...

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