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LIFE
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Inside stories of hope,
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Jim and Ken

featured (2)

Tiffany-King

3 min read

We Were Abused

"UGM welcomed us, protected us, helped us heal." Tiffany has immense inner strength. At 26 years old, she has faced the worst life has to offer and...

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4 min read

I Was Angry

“I was a negative, angry, violent, depressed individual.” Dean Lynch, 45, came to the UGM Men’s Shelter on December 27, 2011 after losing his job,...

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Ryan-Brown_FINAL

3 min read

I was empty

This article was first published before Ryan Brown started as the Youth Outreach Director. He's been on the job for almost four years now, and...

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Christian3

3 min read

I Was Ashamed

I was ashamed, and you lifted my head. Christian was once interviewed for an article in Salon Magazine entitled, “Nazi Family Values: Chewing the fat...

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4 min read

We were Victims

You showed us the love and power of the gospel. You broke the cycle. “I used to be one of those teenagers who just didn’t care about anything. I went...

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3 min read

I Was in Denial, and You Showed Me the Truth

Recovery is impossible... if you don’t believe you have a problem if you refuse to look at the problem if you blame someone else for the problem or...

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3 min read

I Was in Prison

I was in prison and you gave me a second chance. Paul Staley was a self-described “peace-loving man.” A product of the sixties. A flower child. A...

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donate-financially_featured

1 min read

Dressed in Praise

The other day I received this text message from Scott, one of our program graduates: “I forgot to mention that yesterday was my 6 years...

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sheldon-web-1

3 min read

Comfort for those who mourn

Sheldon grew up in California. He is thoughtful, soft-spoken, a bit shy. Charles’ home state reveals itself in his drawl. He’s a Texas cowboy, a...

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2 min read

Binding up the Brokenhearted

“I believe what drives people to bad behavior, whether it’s addiction or abusive relationships or being abusers, is brokenness of heart. They harden...

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Boys

1 min read

Impacting Lives Together in 2012

Young and old. Washington and Idaho. Individuals, churches and businesses. Look how you teamed up to care for the poor in 2012.

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2 min read

God With Us

Three words. Nine letters. Revolutionary power. God became man so that He might be with us. He meets us in our brokenness and His presence transforms...

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2 min read

Three of God's Children

CHRIS family breakdown, substance abuse Chris’ mom went to prison when he was three for selling cocaine. His dad hung himself when Chris was eight....

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3 min read

Making Old Things New

“My exterior has nothing to do with my heart.” Zachariah’s story is written in ink all over his body. His mom died when he was 12. The tear drop...

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1 min read

UGM Volunteers Rock!

We wanted to give all our volunteers one giant collective hug, but we settled for a party. Here are just two of the amazing people who give so...

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1 min read

Staying the Course

Clifford Ellenwood said not much has changed since he appeared in the January 2009 issue of this newsletter, but that, in and of itself, is huge....

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2 min read

Me-Dependent vs. God-Dependent

In the waiting room of the law office where she now works, Gigi Leger described her old approach to life: “What I struggled with and what sent me...

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1 min read

Pictures of Beauty

Are you familiar with the game Jenga? It’s a tall tower of blocks where each player attempts to remove one single block without toppling the tower....

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Candice group small

3 min read

Redeemed

"But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself." – Psalm 49:15 Editor's Note: This blog post is from 2012, the...

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