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LIFE
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Inside stories of hope,
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Jim and Ken

homeless shelter

4 min read

Breaking Ground For Hope: Community gathers in the LC Valley

On February 23, the LC Valley community gathered to break ground where the future UGM shelter will stand in Lewiston, Idaho. As the sun shone down on...

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2 min read

Everybody Has a Story: Meet UGM volunteers Bob and Sharon

As a case manager at the Men's Shelter, Bob McLellan says he’s become a better listener. “I used to be afraid to talk to homeless people on the...

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6 min read

The Dan Mader Story: Investing in the LC Valley

“The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord.” (Psalm 24:1) Fresh out of university, Lewiston-area native, Dan...

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2 min read

Christmas at UGM: A warm welcome into a community that cares

The snow has come, the days are nearly at their shortest, and Christmas is right around the corner. But what is Christmas if you’re homeless? Is...

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There is Hope

3 min read

Where There Is Breath, There Is Hope: Hear From UGM Shelter Guests

If you’ve never experienced homelessness or a debilitating addiction, chances are you’ve struggled knowing what to say to someone in the midst of...

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5 min read

How the Gospel Brings Us Home

Guest post by UGM Aftercare Coordinator Dennis Roach A mythical story contains elements of fantasy and reality, a blend that sometimes pushes us to a...

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6 min read

Facing the Nightmare of Childhood Trauma and Building a New Life: Krystal’s Story

In an essay entitled “Family Breakdown: Restoring a Damaged Masterpiece,” UGM Chaplain Sonny Westbrook describes what happens when God’s design for...

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2 min read

Inside the UGM Crisis Shelter: A Volunteer's Perspective

We asked high-impact volunteer Margene Nobles to discuss her work with guests at UGM's Crisis Shelter for Women and Children.

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2 min read

"You Broke Down Our Biases": Nursing Students Share Experience at UGM Men's Shelter

Nursing Students Ruth and Madison came to UGM to give. They set up a medical station and provided free care and advice to guests at the Men's...

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3 min read

A Lot of Love: How a Used Car Dealership Provides Homeless Services

Car shopping along E Sprague Ave. in Spokane Valley can feel like running a gauntlet of clambering salespeople, flashy marketing ploys, and banners...

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3 min read

Safety is the First Step to Recovery

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 Under God’s Roof Joey Reyes defies homeless...

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5 min read

Homeless and Nowhere to Be

Kari had been walking for four days. Literally. She wasn’t going anywhere. She didn’t need the exercise. She was walking because her life had come to...

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edits-5296

10 min read

From Homeless to Hope Fountain

Kimmi (Halbrook) Lane arrived at the UGM Crisis Shelter nine and a half years ago as a guest. Little did she know it was the beginning of a journey...

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Matt Lewis helps the homeless at UGM, sharing the passionate love of a good God at the Men's Shelter.

8 min read

Pursued and Loved by a Good God

Matt Lewis has worked with the guests at the Men’s Shelter a little more than a year – first as a resident advisor and now as day desk supervisor....

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The Pacific Coast Mission held chapel services and served meals to homeless men.

3 min read

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

In the autumn of 1951, a group of businessmen from Spokane attended a dinner hosted by Albert Arend, where they heard testimony from a former...

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Crisis-Shelter-child

2 min read

Shelter Life...A Child's Perspective

By Ellen Presley, former House Manager at the Crisis Shelter for Women and Children They brush their teeth, do their homework, eat dinner, do chores,...

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2 min read

A Front Row Seat to Holiness

Editor's note: This is the first in an Advent devotional series based on Isaiah 61:1-3. Some of the posts in this series were first published as part...

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3-2014-Phil-1

1 min read

The Darkest Dark

Do you remember the darkest dark you’ve ever experienced? I know I do.

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Kimmi found a safe place at the UGM Crisis Shelter

3 min read

A Whole-Person Approach to Breaking the Cycle

Safe Shelter Kimmi Halbrook liked to play, “Let’s Make a Deal” with God: Get me out of this scrape, and I promise to get my act together. But at 39 –...

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1 min read

The Only Number that Matters

Sometimes it’s tempting to define homelessness, and even this ministry, by the numbers: 1,295 people on the streets. 97,000 nights of shelter....

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1 min read

Volunteer Profile: Autumn Banks

When asked how volunteering at the Union Gospel Mission has impacted her, Autumn Banks said, “It humbles me…When I look at the women, I see myself –...

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