The Special Edition of “The Mission” newsletter is now available! Please click here to subscribe
The Latest
Please Help Keep the Winter Shelters Open!!
Today marked the end of our Glendale Winter Shelter, and on March15th, the remaining shelters will be closing as well. Unfortunately, the money that funds the armories will run out then, which means that the 670 people who have been staying at the Winter Shelters will have no place to go.
We would like to ask you to please be an advocate for those who are experiencing homelessness, and consider contacting government officials to keep the Winter Shelters open year round. The number of people walking through our doors has continued to increase; we don’t ever want to see the day when we have to turn someone away. Keeping the Winter Shelters open would ensure that we would not have to.
Please go to http://youarethemission.org/advocate. We are asking people to send a pre-written letter to Governor Schwarzenegger to help keep these shelters open by declaring a State of Emergency. Then, contact the LA City Council, LA County Supervisors, and Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (LAHSA) to support our efforts. With your help, we can bring about a change! Thank you so much for your support.
February End of Month Update
February has been a busy month for us at URM. We hope you will take a moment to watch this video for exciting highlights on the events and challenges, including photos of our Hearts for Hope Fashion Show honoring Paris Hilton.
When you support us and share our message with others, you are helping to provide a better life for those who may otherwise be living on the streets of LA. We cannot do what we do without you.
Blessings,
Rev. Andy Rescheduled for Frank Pastore Show
Rev. Andy will no longer be speaking with Frank Pastore on his show this Wednesday, February 24th. The appearance is in the process of being rescheduled, so please stay tuned for updates!
Hearts for Hope Fashion Show Extravaganza
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (February 8, 2010) — The Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village was teaming with celebrities as the Hearts for Hope fundraising celebrity fashion show got underway on Saturday February 6th presented by award winning designer, Tory Burch. The star studded event was spearheaded by Alice Starr and a committee of people who have a profound heart for helping those experiencing homelessness.
The event honored two of the most recognized women that have had a personal impact on helping people experiencing homelessness, Socialite Paris Hilton and the courageously bold Leigh Anne Tuohy, the true life mother of adopted son Michael Oher, depicted in the movie “The Blind Side”. Union Rescue Mission CEO, Andy Bales, was all smiles as he presented Paris Hilton with the coveted “Heart for Service” Award. A teary eyed Paris humbly accepted her award and replied “I have received lots of Awards but this one means so much more to me because it’s about being a humanitarian, something I am getting into doing more of this year”. She expressed much admiration for the work of Union Rescue Mission and thanked the crowed of over 400 for coming out on a rainy Saturday afternoon to support the Mission.
All proceeds benefit the Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center, a transitional and permanent supportive housing facility serving women and children.
Attendees included:
- Heart for Service Award recipients- Paris Hilton & Leigh Anne Tuohy
- Heart for Service Award Presenter- Union Rescue Mission CEO, Andy Bales
- Some Celebrity Committee members included; Jackie & Anson Williams, Roma Downey, Kathleen Quinlan and Rick Springfield
- Event Hosts – Kevin Dretzka and Stanley Gerlach Jr.
Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue…
…sending Valentine’s Day love, from us to you!
What do you look forward to on Valentine’s Day? Do you have any plans this year? We asked some of our guests what they think about Valentine’s Day, and here’s what they said!
"This year, I'm giving my daughters a prayer and chocolate covered strawberries to show them I love them. But the true gift of giving is a gift from God." - Zane
Students Spend Time Serving at URM
This week, we have had the pleasure of having the 8th grade class from Foothills Christian Church volunteer. The volunteering is part of a 7- year tradition the school has set up; each year, the 8th grade class completes a unit on Homelessness in America. At the end of the unit, they are able to come down to Union Rescue Mission to experience serving and see first hand many of the issues they have been learning about.
We are very grateful for all the students and their hard work this week – not only have they been a tremendous help with kitchen work and laundry, but they have brought smiles and laughter to many of the guests!
January 2010 Statistics Update
January 2010 Statistics
Here is our latest update for January 2010 Statistics including URM, Hope Gardens and Winter Shelter Program.
So far, 2010 has been a busy year for us here at URM, with most of our numbers increasing significantly from last year. Our meals served were up 11% from last year, with 85,749 meals served at URM alone. Adding in our four winter shelters in Downtown LA, Glendale, Culver City, and West LA, and our Hope Gardens Family Center, that number increased to 138,737 meals served in the month of January – that’s about 4,475 meals served each day!
We also showed increases in the number of guests staying at URM, Hope Gardens, and the Winter Shelters each night. Altogether, we were able to provide 49,451 nights of shelter this month!
But our ability to serve would not be possible without your support! We would like to say thanks to all our donors and supporters, as well as to the many volunteers that brighten the lives of our guests while helping out; we had a whopping 1,801 volunteer visits for a total of 5,572 volunteer hours!
We are also grateful for our USC Dental Clinic, UCLA Medical and Mental Health Clinics, and Pepperdine Legal Clinics. Often times, people experiencing homelessness do not have the resources to gain the help they may need to improve their life and their current situation. Our clinics are here to provide that kind of help free of charge! This month they provided the following:
Dental Clinic Visits = 511
Legal Clinic Visits = 38
Mental Health/Counseling Sessions = 152
Medical Visits = 634
With all the rain that we have been experiencing, it is good to know that our Winter Shelters are available for hundreds of people who might be sleeping in the cold otherwise. From December 1st through the end of March, Union Rescue Mission runs four extra shelters through the Winter Shelter Program. For some, the Winter Shelters provide the temporary assistance they need to get back on their feet and secure permanent housing of their own. For others, coming in out of the cold and interacting with one of the caring members of our staff is the first step in their journey towards life transformation.
WSP Nights of Shelter
Downtown Avg: 258 ppl per night (10% increase from last year)
Culver City Avg: 129 ppl per night
West LA Avg: 123 ppl per night
Glendale Avg: 159 ppl per night
Just to give you an idea of what donations, large or small, from caring people like you can do, here are some quick facts about the costs of services we provide:
- Having a great smile can make all the difference in a person’s self esteem and outlook on life – $142.72 can provide dental care for a family of four.
- By providing emergency and outreach services, we try to show God’s love to those that we serve. By caring for even basic needs, we hope that they will gain confidence from knowing someone cares and believes in them – that way they have the strength, hope and foundation to go through the process of life transformation. The cost of ‘emergency services’ (food and shelter) for a man for one week is about $152.81.
- Living on the streets or near poverty, most people can only dream of having proper health insurance and health care for themselves and their children. Thanks to our UCLA Medical Center, $93.99 can provide a medical visit for a mom and 2 kids.
To help provide these important services and care for our guests, click here to donate today.
End of January Update
Dear Friends,
As we come to the end of the month, we would like to share just a few of the activities that have been keeping us busy here at URM! From serving record numbers of people, to running winter shelters to planning a special event for our guests, the last few weeks have been action packed. Please take a moment to watch this quick update on what we are accomplishing with the help of friends like you!
Blessings,
January 2010 The Mission Now Available
The January 2010 Edition of “The Mission” newsletter is now available! Please click here to subscribe.