The Latest

Andre Ethier & Farmer Johns Sponsor Lunch at URM

On Wednesday, we were honored to have the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier and Farmer Johns serving up hot dogs for all the residents at URM!

Thanks to Farmer Johns sponsoring the meal, we were able to serve everyone delicious Farmer John’s hot dogs for lunch!

Andre Ethier helped with the grilling outside, as well as serving to our guests.

The Dodgers were kind enough to provide Dodgers Blankets for everyone, too!

Thank you so much to Andre Ethier, The Dodgers, and Farmer Johns for providing a fun-filled afternoon at URM!

Join Our Day of Service!

Please join us on Saturday, September 11th for our first ever “You Are the Mission Service Day”! We are inviting everyone in LA to roll up their sleeves, come down to Skid Row and make an impact.

This is a great way to exercise Step 2 of our 10 Step Plan to End Homelessness in LA, and recognize the “National 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance”.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1) Visit www.youarethemission.org
2) Sign up for one of our many service projects
3) Share this event with your friends!

We expect a big turnout, so please sign up as soon as you can! Deadline for all registration is Friday, September 3rd.

Together, let’s end homelessness in LA!

Chick-Fil-A Provides Lunch at URM!

 

Today, URM guests enjoyed delicious chicken sandwiches for lunch thanks to the popular restaurant Chick-Fil-A.

We are honored that Chick-fil-A  has selected Union Rescue Mission as the launch site to celebrate their new restaurant that just opened in Los Angeles. As CEO Andy Bales said, “We are looking forward to developing a long-term relationship with an organization like Chick-fil-A that shares the same values as URM.”

 

You Saved Hope Gardens!

Just a few months ago, we were facing one of the worst crises we’ve ever had – the possibility that we might have to close down our Hope Gardens Family Center. Thankfully, many generous donors stepped up to the need and helped us raise $3.8 million, even more than our original goal! To celebrate and thank those who played a crucial part in saving Hope Gardens, we threw a party last weekend, thanks in part to generous sponsorship from Home Depot and Dandy Don’s Ice Cream. Guests were able to tour Hope Gardens, and meet the moms and children that they saved from returning to the streets of Skid Row.

We hope you will please take a minute to check out this video of highlights from the event, and to hear from one of our loyal volunteers, NCIS’ Pauley Perette!

$1 For Every Fan Ends August 5th

Join our Facebook fan page!  If you’re already a fan, share it on your wall and invite your friends to join our group!

 In May, a generous donor offered to donate $1 to URM for every new Facebook fan, up to $25,000.  We have had an incredible response—growing our fan base by almost 1000% and raising nearly $4,000.  But there is still $21,000 available for us to raise and this offer ends Thursday, August 5th! 

Join our Facebook group here:  http://www.facebook.com/unionrescuemissionlaLet’s end homelessness in LA.

Talent Show Packs the House!

Last night, the  Servant Leadership group hosted a URM Talent Show.  The Servant Leaders are program men and women who choose to commit beyond the regular program commitments. Wanting to do something fun to lighten everyone’s spirit, they chose to organize a Talent Show. This was no easy task – but proved to be a great idea; the Chapel was standing room only for the show!

The evening began with the Servant Leadership praise team singing two numbers, and giving a warm welcome to the completely full Chapel of guests! The performances were all wonderful, and included a barbershop quartet, spoken word, praise dancing, many soloists, a hilarious skit, and Christian rapping.

Not only did the crowd get to enjoy the talents of others, but the performers really enjoyed being able to share their gifts. It was a fun-filled evening – we are already looking forward to the next one!

Summer Camp Makes Lasting Memories for Kids

One of the highlights of summer for many kids is the opportunity to go to summer camp!  This year, we were excited to be able to send kids from URM and Hope Gardens to The Oaks Camp by Lake Hughes, CA.

A week at summer camp is a welcome retreat from Downtown LA and city life in general.  The Oaks, nestled in the Angeles National Forest, offers breathtaking views and a peace and quiet not found in urban areas. Many of the campers had never been to the country before, much less experienced the outdoor activities that were offered. They enjoyed making new friends, canoeing, rock-climbing, learning about God, campfires, and swimming!

Stephen, a 6th-grader from URM, said his favorite part of camp was “Fire Circle” – each night everyone goes up into the mountains for a campfire. They sing, see pictures from that day, and listen to the speaker.  Marcus, an 8th-grader from URM, enjoyed the speaker and canoeing. He even made a promise to start reading his Bible everyday, and was the only camper in his cabin to memorize every single Bible verse for the whole week!

Although the cost of camp is high, the chance to experience new things, make new friends, and learn about God in a whole new way is invaluable. Summer Camp is a life-changing experience for many kids, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make it possible for us to provide this great opportunity!

 

City Council Votes to Donate Food

Today, the LA City Council voted in favor of donating surplus food to food banks, homeless shelters, and other organizations that assist those in need.  During the press conference earlier this morning, Councilman Jose Huizar explained the reasoning for the decision.  “It helps the city reduce waste, and secondly puts food on the tables of families who are going hungry each day here in the city of Los Angeles.”

We are so grateful for this new policy that will help us fulfill some of our needs as we face increasing numbers of people coming to us for meals, shelter, and assistance. As always, we appreciate your continued support – we can’t do it without you!

For more info, click here.

20 Tons of Snow Coming for “Christmas in July”

On Wednesday July 7, 2010 over 20 tons of snow will blanket Union Rescue Mission.  Santa and his little helpers will transform URM  into a Winter Wonderland so that more than 200 youngsters experiencing homelessness (ages 3 to 17) can enjoy a special early Christmas celebration.

“Christmas In July” is sponsored by SUBWAY Restaurants and will feature mountains of snow, colorful volunteer elves and game booths along with tasty treats like cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn and more.  Each child will receive a gift from Santa Clause and will also be treated to a delicious lunch catered by SUBWAY.

Andy Bales said, “I can’t think of a better way to lift the spirits of children experiencing homelessness than giving them an extra Christmas. Santa, snow, toys, lots of snacks and food go a long way in helping children forget, even for a little while, that they are living in a shelter and not their own home. I am thankful to SUBWAY for providing this happy time for our kids”.

Follow URM and Rev. Andy on Twitter for up-to-the-minute photos and updates, and check back for blog updates next week!

We’ve Reached the Goal!

Thanks to our generous donors, we have surpassed our goal and raised $2,959,048.34 to save Hope Gardens Family Center! Additional gifts will still be matched until June 30th and go towards sustaining the residents and property and provide placement for more women and children.

We are so grateful to everyone who has helped spread the word to save Hope Gardens – special thanks to all our Facebook Fans and Twitter followers, too!

Read more about the exciting news in Andy’s own words from today’s L.A. Times article.