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LIFE
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Jim and Ken

4 min read

5 Key Elements of Real Change

What does it take to change? How do you break a twenty-year addiction? How do you stop being angry and resentful for all the ways you feel like life has dealt you a bad hand? How does a person who pushed everyone out of their life, turn around and...

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1 min read

Partner Profile: Frank and Barbara Peretti

Frank and Barbara Peretti have a rich, full life. Frank is a New York Times best-selling author. Barbara is a watercolor artist.

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3 min read

High-Impact Kids: Not Too Young to Make a Difference

Reaching children is key to breaking the cycle of homelessness. But even the best-intentioned adults don’t always succeed in connecting with kids...

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4 min read

Unchanging Truth in Changing Times

When Former Men’s Shelter Chaplain Jim Carson told us he’d like to host a Facebook fundraiser in honor of Union Gospel Mission’s 70th anniversary, we...

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3 min read

The Painful Truth that Leads to Freedom

Written by former Men’s Recovery Program Supervisor Mike Sholtz I had been working at UGM for only a short time when one of the men in the program...

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2 min read

Not a Lost Cause to God: Linda’s Story

Women's LIFE Recovery participant Linda shared this speech at the recent Phase Promotion at UGM's Center for Women and Children. “I sat in a...

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4 min read

Failure Is Not the End of Recovery

“I never fully surrendered.” Vickie Proctor finished UGM Women’s LIFE Recovery in 2019. She got a job, she moved out, she was honored at...

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4 min read

It's a New Day: How UGM Camp Creates Hope

UGM’s Youth Outreach Director Ryan Brown got choked up when we asked him about his plans for this year’s series of week-long Summer Camps.

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3 min read

Forgiveness Breaks the Shame Cycle

“I’m getting older, and I didn’t want to be that old lady that’s out on the street, looking to get high.” Before coming to UGM, Kerri was staying at...

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3 min read

Ending Self-Destruction: Sarah’s Story

Caution to the reader: This story contains references to abortion, prostitution and human trafficking. “Sarah, I really want to help you.” Sometimes...

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2 min read

Easter Series: LIFE after Easter

Jesus changed everything. More specifically, Jesus' life, death and resurrection changed everything.

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5 min read

Easter Series: What Does Sin Have to do with Homelessness?

As we mentioned in last week’s post, acknowledging the existence of sin implies a particular worldview – one in which God created the world and has...

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1 min read

Church Feature: Linking Arms with North Church

Pastor Olyvia Babinski says, “At North Church, we choose to support people already doing the work, instead of us trying to start up all these little...

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3 min read

Easter Series: Sin Ruins Everything

Sin. Talk about a conversation stopper. I’m not sure anyone is anxious to talk about sin, even Christians, but in society at large, it’s almost...

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5 min read

Easter Series: Who is God?

“God is not ordinary.” – Heather Harpham “I measure God by everything I am not. I begin with that.” – Flannery O’Connor “’For My thoughts are not...

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2 min read

Easter Series: Where is the Sweetness of the Resurrection?

Easter. Just the word evokes thoughts of bird song and budding tree branches, spring dresses, pastel button downs and family photo opportunities in...

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2 min read

The Split 2021: Running for God, Walking with Jesus

Each Year, Negative Split hosts a community 5k, 10k, and half marathon that starts in the Kendall Yards neighborhood and travels through the heart of...

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4 min read

When Program Ends: Mentoring UGM Alumni

Ric Rocca and his family own and operate multiple Jimmy John's franchises in the Spokane area. And somehow Ric still finds time to volunteer at UGM.

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2 min read

Voices of Recovery: A Poem of Redemption

Written and performed by 2016 UGM LIFE Recovery alum Amanda Taylor.

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6 min read

Mentoring Through Recovery and Relapse

“I know that no matter what I throw at them, they are going to support me and love me and speak truth into my life.” - Laura, UGM Crisis Shelter Tom...

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3 min read

Meet Pat: Super Volunteer

In 2020 alone, volunteers saved UGM nearly $2.2M. It is no exaggeration to say that we could not realistically function without our fleet of...

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4 min read

The Government Agrees: "Housing First" isn't Working

In the fall of 2020, while the news media was focused on the pandemic and the presidential election, a significant report was quietly released by the...

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4 min read

How UGM Business Partners Change Lives

"I'm sold on it. I tell you I'm sold." Mitchell Long, Chief Executive Officer at Northwest Ob-Gyn, took time out of his busy schedule to sit down...

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4 min read

Physical Healing: Health Care at a Homeless Shelter

At Union Gospel Mission, we value whole-person recovery. This means we believe that in order to become a God-dependent, contributing member of...

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