11 min read
UGM Gathering 2025
At this year’s Gathering, we heard real stories from real people about how they—empowered by the tools, resources, and support UGM offers—have...
David, 31, spent half his life homeless. At the age of 14, he was taken from his family home due to a domestic violence incident. After that, he jumped from group homes to shelters to rehab programs to the streets to jail and back to the streets.
Today, David said he is extremely thankful that Jesus never gave up on him. “I tried to hide. I tried to give up. I overdosed.” But somehow God always intervened. “I’d go hide in a corner of an alley somewhere and some lady would tap me on the shoulder. ‘Here, do you want a sandwich? Jesus loves you!’”
Here at UGM, we, too, are grateful that Jesus pursued David, grateful that he came to UGM, that he committed to 18 months in pursuit of life transformation and that he allowed us to walk alongside him.
“I know that I can be more than I was able to be as a teenager,” David said. “I didn’t have support…or motivation, for that matter. I didn’t believe in myself. Now I can see a future. I have a support network. I’ve been clean and sober for 20 months. I’m actually saving money. I quit smoking cigarettes.”
David has a relationship with God, with his son, with his brothers in the program and the people at his church. He’s looking forward to cashing his first paycheck and paying his first month’s rent.
“I was gonna be the next guy they scraped off the sidewalk.”
Instead, David is a God-dependent, contributing member of society, and we are grateful.
11 min read
At this year’s Gathering, we heard real stories from real people about how they—empowered by the tools, resources, and support UGM offers—have...
4 min read
As we approach the Easter season, I feel gratitude for the Christian heritage that brings a deeper meaning to the season than Easter egg hunts,...
4 min read
Currently, a safe, clean-and-sober shelter does not exist in the LC Valley area, but UGM’s new shelter will provide a pathway out of homelessness for...
We asked staff, volunteers and residents to share a few of thoughts on gratitude.
Jerry Coatney was literally ecstatic when he got an email from Greg Barclay saying that UGM was looking for a driver. Jerry had wanted to volunteer...