PRE- PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Kitty Davis-Walker or Alexandra Monsibaez
(213) 673-4585 or (213) 507-5562 (213)673-4882 or (213)200-1758
VP of Public Relations PR Coordinator
kwalker@urm.org amonsibaez@urm.org
HELP NEEDED WOMEN IN CRISIS
LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA (JULY 2016), Single women experiencing homelessness is at an absolute crisis point on Skid Row in Los Angeles. The recent LAHSA count showed a 55% increase in women experiencing homelessness on the streets since 3 years ago. Of the 4000 more people on the streets this year compared to last, 40% are single women.
Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission states “our number of guests is up 400 over last year at this time, the biggest increase by far is in the number of single women in the Mission since last month. We are searching our own building for more space and increasing our capacity for cots, and reaching out to our neighboring partners to see if they have space we can share to handle the emergency.”
URM is truly the only place to turn to for sheltering single women, moms, Dads, and two parent families. Currently 633 women and moms with children stay at URM’s two facilities, along with 500 men.
“This is the first time in our 125 year history that women and children served out numbers men. We have a policy of never turning away a woman or a family with children. Our hearts won’t let us. Where would they go.” Bales added.
About URM
URM is one of the largest missions of its kind in America — bringing help and hope to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. URM provides comprehensive emergency and long-term recovery services to our guests to help them escape the dangerous streets of Skid Row and transition from homelessness to independent living.
About URM’s Hope Gardens Family Center
Nestled in the foothills of the AngelesNational Forest, HGFC offers a peaceful setting and transitional living to moms, children, a number of single women and permanent supportive housing to senior women. In addition to food and shelter, HGFC offers the real help women need to escape homelessness forever, long-term rehabilitation programs, job training, counseling, training and encouragement.
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