The Impact Blog

The Gospel and the Gathering

Renewing Her Mind

Beyond Sobriety to Life Transformation

Hospitality to Strangers

Rooted in Love

Overcoming Obstacles to Fight Homelessness

How UGM has changed me

Who's Behind UGM?

Recovery Changes People.

Partner Profiles: Volunteer Jenny Gasperino

2019 Resolutions

A Firm Resolution to Be Softened

Death and Christmas

The Five C's of Children's Recovery

Homeless and Nowhere to Be

A Long, Uphill Path for Moms in Recovery

Restoring Children to a Healthy Home

Trauma, Time, Trust: Helping Homeless Women

Family Breakdown: Restoring a Damaged Masterpiece

House Mom to the Homeless and Broken

Five Tips from a Used Car Salesman

Gratitude by the Moment

From Homeless to Hope Fountain

What Homeless People Want You to Know

Food Partners: A Win-Win Relationship

Pursued and Loved by a Good God

Real people. Real change.

Homeless, Hopeless, Loved

Elizabeth: Under a Shadow

I am no one's Savior.

No Gray Areas: Inside the Payroll Office

A Brief History of UGM, Part 2: 1987 to Present

Let God Transform You

A Brief History of UGM, Part 1: 1951 to 1987

What Winning Looks Like at UGM Camp

Beauty from Ashes. Literally.

Working Where God is at Work

Defining Toughness

UGM Camp: Faith Like a Child

Why Get Involved in a Church?

Long-Term Recovery: The Right Kind of Hungry

Facing Fears at UGM Camp

One Man, Two Careers in Service

Recovery from Abandonment

Recovery: Facing Anger at God

The Emotional Toll of Fatherlessness

Forgiving Yourself as Part of Recovery

Youth and the Future of Ministry

The UGM Residents You Didn't Know About

3 Ways UGM Campers Make Lifelong Memories

What the Kids in Juvenile Detention Want to Know

The Car Alarm in the Brain

If “You’ll Never Amount to Anything,” Why Try?

The Problem with Self-Improvement

Setting God's Table at a Homeless Shelter

Dyann escaped domestic violence but had nowhere to go

Homeless and Fatherless

Get to Know Sonny Westbrook, UGM's Pastor

The Love of the Father

A New Way to Look at Repentance

Feeding the Hungry: Behind the Scenes

What You Have to Offer a Homeless Person: Acceptance

Business Partners Get People Back to Work

5 Reasons to Register for the Hunger Run

Church Partnership: Sun City Church

Howdy, Partners: Why We Keep Using That Word

Giving from the Heart

7 REASONS TO DONATE-SHOP-SAVE AT UGM THRIFT STORES

Not Caring is Not an Option

Stay with the Shepherd

#Blessed

Christmas: The Power of God with Us

The Thrill of Hope to a Weary World

Thank You, God, for this Blood Clot

Gratitude on the Recovery Journey

In Everything, Give Thanks

Making Connections for Homeless Veterans

Lessons from 10 Years Working With Homeless Men

Sharing Stories of Helping the Homeless

Feeding the Hungry, Body and Soul

What You Should Know About Helping the Homeless

Why World Homeless Day?

A Unique Opportunity for UGM Clinic

The Courage to Speak

Freeman Shooting Drives Us to Our Knees

Loving Women in Crisis: Karen Herford

UGM Camp: The Gospel Sinks In

Three Portraits of Recovery

Student Impact: Like Family

UGM Camp: Love and Loyalty

Cleaning Out Your Closet, Changing Someone's Life

UGM Camp: The Luckiest One

Domestic Violence: Why Does She Stay With Him?

Volunteer Profile: Gary Leonard

UGM Camp: No Longer Alone

The Gospel: The Heart of Trauma Recovery

Writing for Their Lives

Untying Heart Knots

Kevin: “My life revolved around avoiding pain.”

Jason Had 3 Shoes. God Gave Him 3 Stores.

Is Addiction a Sin or a Disease?

Why I Bought My Car at UGM Motors

Charity that works

UGM Camp: Much More than Fun and Games

The Young and the Homeless: Fighting Poverty at its Roots

Working from the heart

Profiles in Courage: UGM Edition

Jesus Came to the Mental Asylum with Me

Five Steps to the New You

How Failure Revealed My True Calling

Recovery and Vocational Education Go Hand in Hand

A Ministry of Emotions

Recovery. For Life.

Christ is the Light of the World

UGM Core Value: Thankful and Generous

Serious Mental Illness: Four Things UGM Can Do

My Personal Suicide Prevention Plan

I Have a Mental Illness

The Paralyzing Nature of Anxiety

Mental Illness: An Obstacle for the Homeless – and Many Others

A Vessel for Jesus at the Crisis Shelter

Dealing Faithfully with the Winter Blues

Healing Homeless Men through Relationship

Trauma Recovery

Does God Hate the Rich?

Combatting Sleeplessness

10 Things You Should Know About the UGM Crisis Shelter

It Isn't "Us and Them"

UGM Core Value: Total Accountability

2017: Looking Forward

The Blog Post You Don’t Want to Read

God worked through you in 2016

Melissa: Building Trust, Breaking a Cycle

Who Are the Poor?

Katie: One Mom's Journey of Restoration

A Broken Hallelujah: What has Christmas to do with Suffering?

What Does it Mean to Love the Poor?

Jessie: A Fully Present Parent

UGM's Role in Caring for the Poor

Does God Call You to Love the Poor?

Elizabeth: Conformity vs. Transformation

Helen: From Homeless to Grateful

UGM Core Value: Pursuing Excellence

Learning about Grace and Truth

5 Ways Businesses Can Partner with UGM

Truly Loving Relationships

One Veteran's Journey to a Homeless Shelter

Providing Medical Care to the Homeless

Lose the Label: Performer

UGM Core Value: Christlikeness

Stories within a Story

Terminal Uniqueness

World Homeless Day 2016

Volunteers: Rivers of Living Water

UGM Core Value: Unified Teamwork

Rachel: A Year Later

UGM Core Value: God-dependence

How a New Kidney Helped Me Better Understand Recovery

UGM Core Value: Stewardship

A Burden of Light

The Journey toward Recovery

Lose the Label, See the Human.

Kids in Recovery

Camp Reflection: Kids Like Us

The Crisis Shelter: Many Stories, One Home

Learning Life Lessons at Camp

Comforting with the Comfort She Received

What Can Prayer Do in the Face of So Much Pain?

Following His Lead: Kristen

A Better Home for Women and Children in Crisis

Employment Helps the Homeless

Coming Together to Find Balance

The Fatal Attraction of Addiction

Caring for People through Their Animals

Joining Together for Camp

Lose the Label: "Drunken Indian"

Finding God in Bad Situations

Your Money’s in Good Hands.

Celebrating Beauty from Pain

Graduation Spotlight: Kat and Kanesha

Recovery: A Holistic Process

Learning to Get Back up

Graduation Spotlight: Wendy Ross

Empowering Youth: Adam

Empowering Youth: Christa

Jesus' Encounter at the Well

Shelter Life...A Child's Perspective

It Started at UGM Camp

Spokane Barista Academy

One Week at UGM Camp

Uncommon Care: Part Two

Uncommon Care: Part One

The Gospel Changes Things (and People)

Lose the Label: Ashamed

Nourishing the Homeless with Spiritual Food

An hour carved out from eternity: UGM Chaplain Ron Molina

Don't Get Your Hopes up

Lose the Label: Tweaker

What Is a "Grace-Based" Environment?

Gospel Transformation

When You Can't Undo What You've Done

New Creation in Christ

Love and Power of the Gospel

Feelings, Faith, and Freedom

Lose the Label: Druggie

Keeping UGM's Doors Open: Robbie Bremer

Passing on Encouragement

How do you define "home?"

Lose the Label: Delinquent

A Passion for Recovery: Part 2

A Passion for Helping People in Recovery

What Is Sexual Addiction?

Addiction Firsthand

Lose the Label: Victim

Lose the Label: Powerless

I Resolve to Remember

Keeping good company

The Hunger Run

Lose the Label: Addict

I resolve to grow

Providing Hope (and Fun) for Women and Children

Meet INW People

The Ever-Present God

The God Who Is with Us

No Place like UGM for the Holidays

The Incarnation: Our Salvation

Shop for Everyone on Your List at UGM Thrift Stores

What I Know

Lose the Label: Damaged Goods

Lose the Label: Not Enough

Lose the Label: Chronically Homeless

In Gratitude for God's Gifts

Lose the Label: Felon

5 Ways to Help the Homeless This Holiday Season

Anna Ogden Hall Women Walk the Runway

Lose the Label: Perfectionist

Honoring Those Who Have Fought for Freedom

Homelessness: It's About People

Helping the Homeless: bad news first

Hopelessness to Homelessness

Living under titles

A Lasting Legacy of Vocational Education

Dismissing "Crazy": Part Two

Dismissing "Crazy": Part One

Can Men be Relationship Addicts?

Lose the Label: Player

More than Soup: feeding the hungry

Challenge to Eat Together

Lose the Label: Stupid

Seeing the Image of God in All People

Daring to Look Past the Label

Sharing Jesus with Children

Lose the Label

A Baptism at UGM Camp

Passionately Serving the Most Vulnerable

30 Years Serving at UGM

Loved and Understood

How to Prevent Relapse

Relapse. Relapse. Relapse.

UGM Camp Cabin Leaders

The Effects of Relapse on Recovery

Giving the Shoes off Your Feet

Relapse, Early Intervention Tools for Family

A Word from the Kids at UGM Camp

Q & A: UGM Staff Veterans

UGM Camp: a Girl Named Mina

The High Price of Freedom

Floating on Grace

UGM Camp: Treasuring At-Risk Kids

Caring for Kids at UGM Camp

July 4th Traditions

What does freedom mean to you?

A Heart for the Homeless

31 Years and Counting: Helping At-risk Youth

Graduation Marks the Beginning

Homeless, Hopeless, and Alone

The Alcohol Escape

Recovering from a Broken Heart

Books Bless the Center for Women and Children

Can a week at camp really change a life?

Experiencing God's Love at UGM Camp

Leadership and Community Engagement

Engaging the Community to Help Women and Children

God's Will, Here and Now

5 Reasons to Volunteer at UGM

UGM Motors Sales Manager: Tom Frederick

Welcome Home, My Child, Welcome Home

A Look into Vocational Advancement

Reunited: Mother and Daughter Recover Together

Two Hearts Full of Gratitude

That's Unconditional Love

Relationships: the Problem and the Cure

Tricia found a van at UGM Motors!

The Cycle of "Love"

Recovery and Regaining Confidence

Living As a Mission

The Prodigal Daughter

I was invited to a homeless party.

The Chance to Start over

The Struggle for True Identity

The Reason Why

Dear Son: an Open Letter

Having Someone to Love

Addressing Depression: the Next Step

An Inside Look at Depression

From Anger to Depression to Attempted Suicide

The Beauty of God's Love

I Resolve to Help the Homeless

The Gift of Transportation

I Resolve to Wrestle

Encouragement Empowers

Going to Church

Recovery: the Power of Gratitude

Recovery: Jesus brings beauty from ashes.

The Resolution to Change

Jesus Came to Comfort Those Who Mourn

When you donate to UGM, where does your money go?

Jesus Came to Proclaim Freedom for the Captives

The Hells Angels and the UGM Crisis Shelter are neighbors.

Recovery: a story of brokenness and healing

"You healed what was broken in me."

Beyond Basketball

What's the "G" in UGM?

Christmas Shopping that Helps the Homeless

A Front Row Seat to Holiness

"The Kingdom of God Belongs to Such as These"

A Cook in the Kitchen: Joe Wilson Lands a Job

Lee Brown: Servant and all-around cool guy

Barber to the Homeless

Once an Alcoholic...

Feeding the Poor Vs. Feeding the Rich

Relapse as Part of Recovery

How to Pick a Charity

UGM Core Values: A Balanced Life

On the Edge of Homelessness

Addicted to Men

Domestic Violence and Homelessness

UGM Employment Ready Program helps ex-inmates get back on their feet.

UGM Camp: the final week

Recovery: in it together

UGM Campers: "Tell me you're my friend"

UGM Motors: Reselling Cars - Rebuilding Lives

Panhandling: to give or not to give?

UGM Core Values: Loving Relationships

Rescue: Meeting people in the messiest of messes

UGM Camp: one new experience after another

UGM Camp: Tyrie catches a BIG fish!

Sin's contribution to homelessness

UGM Camp: Feeding hungry kids

Ending generational dysfunction and giving recovery tools to children

UGM CORE VALUES: Gratitude and Generosity

Campers to Leaders

10 Lessons I keep learning at the Union Gospel Mission: Part 2

10 Lessons I keep learning at the Union Gospel Mission: Part 1

UGM Camp: You've got to be ALL-in

RESCUE: A Ministry of Disappointments

What the Union Gospel Mission is all about

LIFE Recovery from a Child's Perspective

No Job, No Home

White-Water Rafting as Part of Recovery

Recognizing Addiction in Your Life

Teenager to Camp Director: "You inspire me!"

Business Bound: from crisis mode to self-sufficiency

Introducing at-risk kids to awe, trust-building and unconditional love

Ongoing Recovery: pursuing dreams and giving back

From Excel to Ezekiel: recovery for the whole person

Life at UGM Camp: non-stop kids, non-stop beauty, just plain non-stop

How do you know when you're addicted?

Homeless Women and the Abundance of Villains Who Prey on Them

Eddie Collins: from homeless junkie to business owner

Recovery: do I have as much courage as that homeless guy?

Recovery: the courage to ask why I do what I do

Women in Free Fall: the missing safety net for homeless families

5 Reasons to Donate Your Vehicle to the Union Gospel Mission

Changing Life One Choice at a Time

Meet Jillian Devine, UGM LIFE Recovery Counselor

Addiction: Broken Families Raise Broken Children

Homeless women: Who will believe in them?

3 Big Misconceptions about Addiction

The services homeless people need

5 reasons you should care about that hopeless drug addict

Volunteer Profile: Biker Bob

10 ways you can help the homeless

Good-bye, Julie

How my dad’s recovery changed my life

A Whole-Person Approach to Breaking the Cycle

Recovery: the choice to change

The Crisis Shelter: a safe place for homeless women and children

Rescue: From Homeless to Housed and Employed

Using psychodrama in recovery

The Year in Review: How Did God Show His Love for the Poor in 2013?

How I Didn't Really Help the Homeless

The Homeless Life

Mental Illness and Homelessness

Broken

Teaching Children to Serve Others

Why is homelessness higher among veterans?

Dreams that grow into forests

The Towel

College and Career Dreams Restored

Getting to know you: Dan McLellan

A little girl's dream

Meet Lenore

Americorps Adventure

The New Paul

Chantell: the Choice to Change

The Need for Change: homeless women and children

Dear Beer: A good-bye letter

Show me your ways

Hypocrite

UGM Motors: Brittany and Brooklyn get new wheels

Ready for the storm

Time to grow up

Core Values: Life Transformation

Core Values: Total Accountability

Back on track

Colors of Hope Update

Seized Opportunity

Into the water

The bee sting

The ripple effect

Write it out

Ashes to Beauty

Rubbing Elbows with the Homeless

Real-world work

Telling the truth

Good-bye, dear friend

Hello, my name is . . .

2013 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Off to Job Corps

[Im]possible standards

Into the Neighborhood

Camp is just the beginning.

Scrapes, bumps and bruises

Can God really forgive me?

Campfire stories

Daughters of the King

Recovery: "Press into the work"

UGM volunteers rock!

Lost and Found: the Steve Viers Story

BELIEVE

Will color for food

Petra: artist in recovery

Mourning and Comfort

Blessed are those who mourn.

Update on Sheldon & Rowdy

Questions for you

Homeless Women & Children: What are we going to do about Martha?

Core value: thankfulness

H.O.P.E.

Spring (no) break

Core values: Christ-likeness

Out of bondage and into the wilderness

Recovery: Freedom for the Captives

Back to work

Binding up the Brokenhearted

Essay contest winner

Valentine's Day remixed

Farewell to my fat

Outward-bound recovery

Binding up the brokenhearted

From stone to flesh

Core Values: Pursuing Excellence

Partnering with the Inland Northwest

Exchanging lies for truth

Prayers from the smoking area

Inseparable

Rescue: safety from abuse

Victory in 2013

From Gang Banger to Responsible Father

Celebrating the process

RESCUE: What is it?

A One-Word Resolution

Merry Christmas!

Independence or God-dependence?

Loss of Control

Union Gospel Mission Core Values

What's in a name?

Soup's On!

Recovery: Breaking Free

Thanksgiving Dinner for 1,200

"Safe Crisis"

Breaking the Cycle

Food + Shelter + Job = Hope

UGM's Working Ambassadors

Not Alone

Representing by Receiving

Ambassadors for Christ

am·bas·sa·dor [for Christ]

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