Skip to the main content.
Donate Need help?
Donate Need help?

LIFE
at the
Mission

Inside stories of hope,
courage, and recovery



Sign Up Today

Jim and Ken

addiction

2 min read

Breaking up with Addiction: a letter from a resident

UGM program resident Jessika wrote a “breaking up with addiction letter” and shared at the fall LIFE Recovery Phase Promotion. Women receiving...

Read More

8 min read

Tristan’s Pathway to Recovery, Phase by Phase

Tristan was living on a front porch. Over the course of eight years, his life had progressed from one devastation to another. “It started back when I...

Read More

3 min read

Dear Monster: A UGM resident’s letter to addiction

Written by Chrystin and read at the fall 2022 LIFE Recovery phase promotion at UGM's Center for Women and Children. Dear Monster,

Read More
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...

Read More

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...

Read More

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...

Read More
Ruschell

4 min read

Joy in the Darkness: How God Pursued Ruschell

“I came here looking to get out of the desperation and the shame and the pit that I was in.” For 46 years, Ruschell battled the abuse, addiction and...

Read More

6 min read

The Great Pain Escape

Pain: physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury. No healthy person enjoys pain. Its whole purpose is to signal that something is...

Read More

4 min read

The Drug Crisis: What’s it got to do with you and me?

Opioids. Meth. Marijuana. Cocaine. Cartels. Addiction. Synthetics. Big money. Big pharma. Overdoses.

Read More

5 min read

UGM Crisis Shelter: A Safe Haven for Women

Written by Heather Pollock, UGM Women’s Recovery alumna and former UGM employee. Stories. Everyone has one. My story with Union Gospel Mission begins...

Read More

6 min read

Ridiculed Schoolgirl to Heroin Addict: Johanna’s Story

“I was brought up in a family of musicians and my dad was the smartest man I’ve ever known, a philosopher.” Johanna is well spoken, educated and...

Read More

4 min read

2020 Vision: Bear One Another’s Burdens

“Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” – Galatians 6:2.

Read More

3 min read

The Gift of Talk Therapy for Homeless Men

Dr. Ed Schultze received his doctorate in psychology from Fuller Seminary and has been working in the field for about 50 years. He has worked...

Read More

5 min read

In Their Words: Two Men Share Their Stories of Recovery

Tyler and Mike recently spoke at UGM's phase promotion event, where they were honored for completing phase 4. "Just a few years ago I was lost and...

Read More

4 min read

God-Dependent Ministry: One Woman's Example

As much as we might like to have a sense of control, Union Gospel Mission is not in the business of gathering broken people, fixing them up, and...

Read More
steve-palmer

3 min read

A Look Inside Men’s Recovery

By Christy Zapata, UGM volunteer - A key component of the UGM’s approach to fighting homelessness is addiction recovery. The 20-month residential...

Read More
Mike-Doggett_FINAL

5 min read

The Heart of Lifelong Recovery

By Mike Doggett, former Aftercare Manager - A little over 21 years ago, I consumed my last drink of alcohol and went on what has proved to be a very...

Read More
mike-headshot-1

6 min read

It Won’t Be Different This Time

Editor’s note: Mike Doggett, UGM’s Aftercare Manager, addressed the recovery participants at a recent phase-up celebration in UGM Women’s Recovery....

Read More
Robert loves working at Berg for his business practicum. He hopes his path leads to working there full-time.

3 min read

Make His Path Straight

Robert Kollenborn, 56, walked out of Geiger Correctional Facility on September 17, 2017, and walked straight to the Union Gospel Mission Men’s...

Read More

2 min read

Katie: One Mom's Journey of Restoration

The December Mission News focused on one of the happiest by-products of recovery: children being reunited with their moms, and not merely being...

Read More
Ben Riggs 2.sm.jpg

3 min read

One Veteran's Journey to a Homeless Shelter

Military service ran in Ben’s family. Growing up, he planned to follow suit. But first, he wanted to let loose. “I moved to Arizona and I started...

Read More
The_whole_crew.sm.jpg

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...

Read More
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!...

Read More

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...

Read More

3 min read

The Fatal Attraction of Addiction

Editor’s note: If you’re like me, you can probably think of at least one habit you’ve tried to break that keeps resurfacing , leaving you frustrated....

Read More