Month: April 2010

HerbaLife Shaking It Up At Union Rescue Mission

Join Union Recue Mission CEO Andy Bales and Herbalife Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson today Monday, May 3, 2010 as they announce a partnership to serve healthy protein shakes at breakfast weekday mornings all year to Union Rescue Mission guests in the Skid Row community that depend on the Mission for good nutritious meals.  

On average (URM) serves 3,500 meals a day.  Herbalife will donate its Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix to the Mission so residents can start their day with a nutritious drink along with their breakfast.

Union Rescue Mission’s CEO Andy Bales said “A big thanks to Herbalife for empowering our precious guests with a delicious and nutritious shake!”

Who: Union Rescue Mission & Herbalife will launch & serve Herbalife Shakes with celebrity Chef G. Garvin, Actress Vanessa Bell Calloway & Actress Kiki Sheppard.

When: Monday May 3, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Sharp

Where: Union Rescue Mission 545 South San Pedro Street (btw 5th & 6th on San Pedro)

Why: Union Rescue Mission and Herbalife coming together to provide healthier eating to people experiencing homelessness.

About Union Rescue Mission: 

Union Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving people experiencing homeless. Established in 1891, URM is one of the largest rescue missions of its kind in the United States and is the oldest in Los Angeles.  It provides a comprehensive array of emergency and long-term services, including food, shelter, clothing; medical and dental care; Christian recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling and job training to needy men, women, children and families. For more information, please visit our website urm.org

About Herbalife Ltd.

Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) is a global network marketing company that sells weight-management, nutrition, and personal care products intended to support a healthy lifestyle.  Herbalife products are sold in 72 countries through a network of approximately two million independent distributors.  The company supports the Herbalife Family Foundation and its Casa Herbalife program to help bring good nutrition to children.  Herbalife’s website contains a significant amount of information about Herbalife, including financial and other information for investors at http://ir.herbalife.com  The Company encourages investors to visit it Web site from time to time, as information is updated and new information is posted.

Peeps Enjoy Day of Fun at Knott’s Berry Farm!

Peeps Go to Knott's Berry Farm 1 

This month, 9 “Peeps” – children at Hope Gardens between the ages of 1-5 years old – were able to enjoy a fun-filled outing to Knott’s Berry Farm!  The kids had a blast riding the rides at Camp Snoopy, and eating pizza for lunch. 

Peeps Go to Knott's Berry Farm 3 

By the time, they left they were worn out and sleeping on the bus back to Hope Gardens!

Peeps Go to Knott's Berry Farm 2 

Resources, Responsibilities and Rescue Missions

There has been some controversy over guests paying a fee for services, both nearby on Skid Row and in New York City.  The controversy arose when a local group in LA bought a building, and after a few months began offering a cot and a place to sleep for $125.00 per month.  Some advocates for people experiencing homelessness cried out about the fee, but also in regards to the fact that only the cot and case management was offered, and that there were no shower services or regular food program to go along with the cot.

In New York City a bigger storm arose over the City of New York carrying out a Client Contribution Program, a pilot program to charge guests with an adequate income a gradually growing fee to both sustain the shelter program and to develop responsible choices among the guests.  I have posted the link below;

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-08-21/news/bloomberg-charges-the-homeless-rent/

“Dusting off an idea dating back to the Giuliani era, the Bloomberg administration has quietly started charging rent to homeless people who stay in emergency city shelters, the Voice has learned.

With no fanfare, Bloomberg officials in June began charging residents of at least four Brooklyn shelters up to 30 percent of their income, records obtained by the Voice show. People who don’t pay could be kicked out of the shelter, the documents show.

Eric Deutsch, a spokesman for the Department of Homeless Services, tells the Voice that the so-called Client Contribution Program is a “very small” pilot program for people with a significant amount of income in the shelter. “We’re trying a variety of new strategies to help families and individuals move towards permanency and into their own homes,” he said.

According to Deutsch, the first month at the shelter is free, with fees rising from 10 percent in the second month to 30 percent in the fourth month. Deutsch said the money goes into a pool that “clients” can draw from when they leave the shelter. But shelter residents say a number of people have already refused to pay the rent fee because they can’t afford it, and because the city hasn’t offered any additional rights or benefits in return.”

At the Rescue Mission I ran from 1986 to 1990 in Des Moines, Iowa, we had a similar practice.  The Door of Faith Mission was established by George Holloway, a man who had a 3rd grade education, spent 37 years on the road without a home, going from shelter to shelter, until he had his life transformed right here at Union Rescue Mission, I believe.  He returned to Des Moines, Iowa, with a philosophy of running mission’s differently;

  • He made it welcoming for the entire day, instead of making people line up at night to come in for a meal and a bed
  • >He fed the men well so they could feel good, go out and work, and get help avoiding the temptations of drugs and alcohol
  • He required sobriety from those who lived at the Mission because it is difficult to stay sober when surrounded by the site and smell of alcohol
  • He required the men to work and pay their own way, because people feel better about themselves when they work, and pay their own way. It affirms their dignity, teaches responsibility, prepares them for paying rent when they move, and it provided 1/3 of the needed income for operating the shelter.  The rest of the income came from churches and individuals. The first 3 days were free of charge or paid by the County, subsequently the next 30 day fee was $6.00 per day, then $7.00 per day, and finally $8.00 per day to prepare the men to pay rent.

In effect, I learned everything I know about properly running a Rescue Mission not from my more than 15 years in colleges, universities and seminaries, but almost entirely from a man with a 3rd grade education.

I came to Union Rescue Mission with this philosophy intact, but I have not implemented all of the components of this philosophy as of yet.  I was reminded of George Holloway’s teachings the other day, when a front line staff mention that some guests residing free at Union Rescue Mission have an income of $1,000 and some an income of $2,000 and that it is difficult to watch someone stay free, eat free, and irresponsibly fritter away huge sums of money in the first few days only to be completely broke the rest of the month, while our worker has suffered 2 pay decreases and responsibly struggles to make ends meet.

I’d like to start a dialogue and get your thoughts on this dilemma.  What do you think?  Should Mission guests pay a fee to learn responsibility, prepare for paying rent, and help sustain the Mission’s operating costs during such a challenging time?  Thanks for weighing in!

 

 

150 Volunteers Come to Day of Service at Hope Gardens

Although National Volunteer Month is coming to an end, we want to continue to express how grateful we are for all our volunteers that support us here at URM and Hope Gardens throughout the whole year!

Day of Service 4 

Just this past Saturday, we had 150 volunteers from five groups join together for a Day of Service at Hope Gardens! Volunteers from Nestle, Calvary Chapel Murrieta, Pacific Crossroads Church, Bel Air Presbyterian, and Cloud and Fire worked on projects ranging from gardening, painting, organization a donation room, demolition, and landscaping!

Day of Service 19

In particular, 70 youth volunteers from Bel Air Presbyterian Church and Cloud & Fire Ministries came together, as they have for the past year, to work specifically on the donation area, clearing a hillside to plant fruit trees, and removing a large planter in the parking lot area. They also took part in the dedication of a wing of classrooms that they helped to put the finishing touches on that afternoon.

 

 You can view our Flickr album from this event here, or check us out at www.facebook.com/unionrescuemission !

 

Standout Volunteers Honored for National Volunteer Week

It takes a lot of work to do what we do here at URM, and we couldn’t do it all without the help of our many volunteers!  In celebration of National Volunteer Week, we honored some of our standout volunteers!  A total of 10 volunteers made it down to our Tuesday morning chapel for a special recognition in front of our staff and guests.

Volunteer Recognition 10 

Without the help of these and other faithful individuals and organizations, we would not be where we are today!

Volunteer Recognition 7 

Thanks to everyone who gives of their time to make an impact here on Skid Row – you are appreciated!

2010 Volunteer Appreciation Attendees:

Ahman Banes & Shawn Gendall representing Calvary Church – Pacific Palisades

Keiko Ichikawa, representing The Bridge

Kathy Morrison

Pamela Bernard

Dale Gibson

Cruz Martinez

Sean Brazil, VP of the URM Club at San Marino High School

Bel Air Presbyterian

Merrill Lynch/Bank of America

 

At-Risk Youth Working to Build a Better Community

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT: Kitty Davis-Walker

(213) 673-4585 or (213) 507-5562

Email: kwalker@urm.org

 

“HELP & HOPE COMES IN THE FORM OF AT- RISK YOUTH WORKING TO BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY”

 

Sylmar California (April 22, 2010) — On Saturday, April 24, 2010 more than 100 youth volunteers from Bel Air Presbyterian Church and Cloud & Fire Ministries will converge on the grounds of the Union Rescues Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center as they have for the past year building, repairing, constructing and restoring buildings around this Oasis of Hope nestled in the foothills of Sylmar California.  Activities for this Day of Service will begin with a brief program and special visit from Councilman Richard Alarcon.  

 

Who: Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center in partnership with Bel Air Presbyterian Church and Cloud & Fire Ministries (YouthBuild) will showcase the extensive construction work done by the helpful hands of at-risk youth from Cloud & Fire Ministries.

 

What: A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating the completion of Bel Air Presbyterian Church and Cloud and Fire Ministries (YouthBuild) team will start the Day of Service by putting the finishing touches on a wing of classrooms to be dedicated on this day at noon.

 

Where: URM’s Hope Gardens Family Center located 12249 North Lopez Canyon Road, Sylmar California 91342.

 

When: Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

 

Why: To assist the Union Rescue Mission in providing a beautiful campus of quality transitional housing for senior women and single mothers with children experiencing homelessness.

 

Union Rescue Mission CEO, Andy Bales said “The youth from Cloud and Fire have transformed Hope Gardens’ educational wing with their tremendous work, and have impacted other children and youth for years to come”. 

 

About Hope Gardens Family Center

Hope Gardens Family Center a program of Union Rescue Mission is a Transitional

Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing campus that gives single mothers and their children, and senior women experiencing homelessness a chance to move out of despair and rebuild their lives. Hope Gardens Family Center helps women transition from homelessness to independence within 12 to 36 months through long-term rehabilitation programs, services and spiritual care designed to support and empower each individual and family. For more information, please visit our website urm.org

Cargo Van

Union Rescue Mission is in need of a cargo van (new or used) that will be used for transport of donations.  If you can help, please contact Chris Strode at (213) 673-4801 or cstrode@urm.org.

March 2010 Statistics Report

Here are few updates on how things have been going for us here at URM:

  • The four Winter Shelters, unfortunately, ended between March 2nd and 15th.  Our downtown Winter Shelter served an average of 293 people per night, which was a 13% increase from last year.

 

  • Our USC Dental Clinic had 639 visits, while the UCLA medical clinic had about 610.  Pepperdine Legal had 85 visits, and Pepperdine Mental Health had 161 sessions.

 

  • We commend our many volunteers who put in a whopping 5,608 hours of service this month!

 

  • 116,054 meals were served in the month of March!  At URM downtown alone we served an average of 2,752 meals per day.

 

  • During March, an average of 815 people called URM and Hope Gardens home each night.

 

                   

 

                  

City Attorney Proposes Injuction Initiative on Skid Row

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – Last Wednesday, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich held a press conference in Gladys Park downtown, discussing an initiative that, if passed, could drastically decrease the Skid Row drug trade. The Central City Recovery Zone initiative identified 80 suspected drug dealers who would be banned from the Skid Row area, which is known as a hub for drug sales and use.

The 80 suspects all have multiple drug-related convictions, and are believed to be selling mostly crack cocaine, but also marijuana, heroin, and meth, on Skid Row, with fifty-three believed to have gang affiliations.  All are considered to be “commuters”; they do not live on Skid Row, but merely come to the area to sell to the people on the streets of Skid Row, many of which are struggling with addiction and have come to Skid Row for recovery services. 

This problem is not new to Skid Row; for years local residents have been victim to the gangs and dealers who drive in at night to sell, often right outside the missions and clinics. Although typically gangs become territorial about selling areas, downtown has remained mostly nonviolent over the years due to the fact that sellers know there are enough profits to go around.  Gang violence, which would bring police attention and threaten their most reliable source of income, has been kept to a minimum. 

The injunction would establish the “Central City Recovery Zone”, bordered by Broadway, Central Ave, Third Street, and Ninth Street. It will require approval from a judge before implementation, but the goal is to protect an area that is home to many people trying to recover from addiction and are seeking recovery services. 

Although the 80 people on the ‘banned list’ would be arrested for entering this Zone, they do have an opportunity to be removed from this list.  Not only will they be able to contest their inclusion, but they can also be exempted by proving that they actually live in the area or are there for recovery services themselves.

Those allowed to stay in the Recovery Zone will still have rules to abide by, including a ban on firearms, ammunition and narcotics possession, acting as a connecting point for buyers and sellers, or even alerting other sellers of law enforcement.

A hearing is expected during the next several weeks, at which point the LAPD will have 45 days to notify the 80 suspected dealers.  For additional information including pictures from the event, be sure to read Rev. Andy Bales blog post “We Asked For This” dated 4-7-2010.  Union Rescue Mission will continue to share information on this important issue as it becomes available

We Asked For This

Today, Carmen Trutanich, County Attorney Steve Cooley, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Sheriff Lee Baca and others issued a public notice at a press conference of a first-of-its-kind civil law enforcement action designed to curb rampant drug activity in Downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row by gang members and career criminals.  An injunction was taken out against 80 individuals, drug dealers, gang members and 1 entire gang, the Grape Street Crips, who come from the outside of Skid Row to sell drugs and commit crime on the streets of Skid Row.

Below is the speech that I tried to share as I was invited to speak on behalf of area Mission’s and Recovery programs. Our speeches were rudely interrupted by a group called LACAN. I’d like to take time to share my speech and our perspective in this blog.  Thanks for taking time to understand our point of view:

We asked for this. People selling drugs and behaving violently were waiting outside of Union Rescue Mission’s and other agencies’ doors, coming into our courtyards and restrooms, and preying on the vulnerabilities of our guests.

Over the course of a week, a woman was shot in the head and murdered steps from our back door, 2 men chased another man down who owed them money and violently beat him outside our back door on San Julian St., and our precious guest women cried and told me that gang members threatened and robbed the little man who pushes an ice cream cart through the neighborhood, “They shouldn’t have done him like that!” they said.  We felt frustrated and helpless in protecting our very vulnerable and precious guests.

We asked for help, and met with individuals representing our City Attorney, County Attorney, LAPD, Sheriff and others, and they have now delivered that help today.  Thank you!

As a colleague of ours shared yesterday, “This is the best news I have heard on Skid Row in 20 years!”  Larry Adamson, the CEO of Midnight Mission, said “With the progress we have made in recent years, men are staying in their recovery programs 66% longer with much greater success!”  This step will help in improving the success of our recovery programs.

We at Union Rescue Mission have had an average of 60 families with well over 100 vulnerable children in our Mission this year. These children have seen too much in their short young lives and experienced too much fear. Thank you, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, District Attorney, Steve Cooley, and all, for putting an end to this fear.

One of the very thoughtful parts of this initiative is the “exemption clause” through which those listed can leave the life of preying on others, and enter into a recovery program like the one we have at Union Rescue Mission, or as I like to call them, a life transformation program, and have their name removed – exempted – from the list.  Thank you for including this grace and hope filled opportunity!

We have made significant progress in our community — stopping hospital drop-offs, stopping mental hospital drop-offs, making sure women and children are not on the streets and reducing crime.  This injunction is yet another tremendous step in making Skid Row a true Recovery Zone!  It’s an important step in moving toward the day when not one precious human being is left to live in terror and die on the streets of Skid Row.  And, indeed, this is a step closer towards truly living up to our great city’s name, the City of Angels.  Thank you!