On Thursday, CEO Andy Bales was out to lunch for sushi and decided to challenge a friend to eat a heaping spoonful of wasabi for $20. Well, the challenge came back at him for $50, and he accepted. The video below was taken of him successfully completing the dare – and he was kind enough to donate the money to URM!
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Disney Volunteers Deck the (Dining) Halls!
For the past two weeks, volunteers from various departments at Disney have given their time to helping out here at URM! They have spent 8 days working very hard in our kitchen. One of the kitchen staff said, “It’s really been great having them volunteering this week – they’ve helped out so much!” Disney also spent a day decorating our Dining Hall, so it is now filled with Christmas spirit every time guests come in to eat!
In addition, they even sponsored and hosted a Christmas Party for the kids at URM! It was a fun-filled event, with a carnival, music, treats and lots of dancing!
Thank you, Disney, for your continued support – we appreciate all you’ve done for us!
Annual Christmas Store Opening Up!
UNION RESCUE MISSION to hold 18th Annual CHRISTMAS STORE
ON DECEMBER 18TH & 19TH
“1,000 Families In Need Invited to Shop for Free”
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (December 18 & 19, 2009) — More than 2,000 children will receive Christmas gifts this year after their parents shop for presents at the Union Rescue Mission’s (URM) 18th Annual Christmas Store starting on Friday, December 18 at 9:00 a.m. to closing at 6:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, December 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at URM headquarters located at 545 South San Pedro St. in downtown Los Angeles.
Union Rescue Mission CEO, Andy Bales, said “It’s our joy to provide an opportunity for a unique shopping experience to 1000 families that might otherwise miss out on the joy of personally giving gifts to their children at Christmas”.
URM, and the Missions offsite facility for mothers and children, Hope Gardens Family Center as well as neighboring missions and service providers helping children and families on Skid Row will be invited to shop free of charge. With so many families in need this year, our goal for 2009 is to provide enough gifts to meet the needs of 1000 families. These families will be given tickets to shop for Christmas gifts in the Mission’s Christmas Store.
Mothers and fathers will be assisted by volunteers to pick one toy or gift for each of their children ages infant through 17 years. They will then be assisted in wrapping the gifts in the department store like atmosphere. While parents shop, kids will experience a visit to our Kid Zone where they will enjoy holiday crafts, games, and treats and also shop for their parents in their own special store.
Each Year URM’s Annual Christmas Store is made possible through the generosity of private donors, and partnering corporations and companies like Verizon, SUBWAY restaurants, Shea Homes and ERA Realtors to name a few.
Schedule of Events:
- Moms begin Shopping for their children…………………………9:30 a.m.
- Children retreat to Kid Zone….…………………………………..9:30 a.m.
ALL MEDIA are encouraged to attend.
Union Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving people experiencing homelessness. Established in 1891, URM is one of the largest rescue missions of its kind in the United States and 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 at urm.org
Toy Drive Race Held at Crystal Park R/C Raceway
On December 5th and 6th, the Crystal Park R/C Raceway in Compton, CA hosted a Support Union Rescue Mission Toy Drive Race! Miss Keesha Sharp was our special guest, and along with all the racers made it a very fun event. It definitely will make this Christmas extra-special for all the kid’s that call Union Rescue Mission home this holiday season.
Special thanks to Crystal Park R/C Raceway, Andy Bales, Keesha Sharp, Don Nose, James Rees, and Jeremiah Johnson for their help with this event and continued support of Union Rescue Mission.
For more information on how you can get involved with Special Supportive events, pease contact Jeremiah Johnson at (213) 347-6300 ext 2225 or email jjohnson@urm.org
Paris Hilton to Host Shopping Extravaganza for URM
Paris and Nicky Hilton have teamed up with West Third Street boutique House of Petro Zillia to benefit Union Rescue Mission! Thursday, December 17th, from 7pm-10pm, the sisters will be hosting the shopping extravaganza; proceeds of all sales will be donated to URM.
Thank you to Paris and Nicky Hilton, who continue to support URM, and to House of Petro Zillia for taking part in this great event!
Project Homeless Connect Coming to Skid Row
The fourth annual Project Homeless Connect Day- Downtown LA will be held on Thursday, December 10th. The event will be held on 6th street, between Wall and San Pedro, and will run from about 10:00 am until 2:00pm.
Project Homeless Connect is part of a national initiative designed to bring together service providers, agencies, and organizations to provide housing, hospitality, information, health-care and other services for our nation’s homeless population. Los Angeles County, along with Santa Monica, Long Beach, Pasadena, Downtown LA, South Los Angeles, and the East San Gabriel Valley will each be hosting an event to bring awareness and connect those experiencing homelessness to much needed services. The goal is to provide area homeless and working poor access to the assistance they need to become self-sufficient and to ultimately obtain affordable housing.
Some of the day’s activities will include:
- Health related services – HIV/STD testing, flu shots, screenings, education
- Public information distribution by DPSS, DCFS, DMH, LASD, LAPD
- Legal Support and Advocacy
- Hygiene Kits (i.e. toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
- Dental Education
- Community Referral Service
- In addition to Music & Entertainment, Food to be provided, Jumper, etc.
Project Homeless Connect Day will:
- Unite government, volunteers, non-profits, businesses, civic leaders, social service providers, and faith-based organizations, to create single points of engagement and entry for homeless individuals and families.
- Engage the general public in offering assistance to people who are homeless through volunteer opportunities.
- Create a unique opportunity for homeless citizens to access services in a supportive community-type setting.
- Provide the necessary connections for homeless individuals and families to get started on the pathway to self-sufficiency.
Get Involved and Help Make a Difference
Project Homeless Connect Day is a great opportunity for you and your organization to get involved with doing your part in trying to reduce the County’s homeless population. There are several ways to be a part of this special event.
- Monetary donations are needed for supplies, activities, lunches, security, logistics, and other items that will be identified as the planning progresses.
- In-Kind donations of all sorts are needed. Hygiene supplies, phone cards, food products, beverages, t-shirts, catering, socks, and much more is needed.
- Volunteers to assist on the day of the event. Hundreds of volunteers will be needed to serve lunches, escort people through the service providers, provide hospitality services, and assist with various tasks throughout the day.
If you are interested in getting involved in any way, or would like more information, please contact Sara Farnsworth at (213) 316-2752 or via email at projecthomelessconnect@urm.org.
Mark Horvath Live with Andy Bales at Winter Shelter Opening
Mark Horvath, known to many as @hardlynormal on Twitter, has been busy helping with the annual Winter Shelters Program. He says, “I get a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing I am part of a team that will provide a safe place, hot shower and warm meal for the next 3 months. But so very sad knowing most spent the last year living outside homeless…”.
Want to see what the winter shelters are really like? Check out Mark interviewing Andy just before the shelter opened on Tuesday night.
Winter Shelters Open Throughout Los Angeles
Yesterday, December 1st, was the opening day of the annual Winter Shelter Program. EIMAGO, a subsidiary of Union Rescue Mission, operates 4 of the 14 shelter sites administered by the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority. This termporary program runs in LA County from December 1st – March 15th each year. As the weather grows colder, it is a blessing for many to be able to sleep in a warm bed at a winter shelter!
The services offered include overnight shelter, meals, showers, access to the health, mental health, dental & legal aid clinics; in addition to recovery programs, education assessment, job training and personal and/or career development. Each Winter Shelter Program guest will have an opportunity to transition into longer-term programs that will assist them in their efforts to gain permanent housing and self-sufficiency.
As Andy Bales said, “The purpose isn’t just to welcome them for the night or the winter season…it’s to connect people to services so that they are no longer on the streets. We do have a plan for the day that we don’t have one precious human being on the streets. That’s why we do this.”
To hear about the impact of the Winter Shelters, click here to watch John’s story or click here to read about this years’ Glendale Shelter.
For more information on how the Winter Shelter Program is run, check out the LAHSA website.
Union Rescue Mission to Hold Annual Thanksgiving Street Festival
MEDIA ALERT – For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Kitty Davis-Walker
(213) 673-4585 or (213) 507-5562
Email: kwalker@urm.org
UNION RESCUE MISSION TO SERVE THREE THOUSAND THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21st
AT ANNUAL THANKSGIVING STREET FESTIVAL 2009
LOS ANGELES CALIF. (November 17, 2009) —– This Saturday November 21, 2009 Union Rescue Mission (URM), CEO Andy Bales will be joined by 300 volunteers at 11: 00 a.m. to transform San Pedro Street into a diners paradise. This year’s festival is sponsored by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and will feature a delicious Thanksgiving meal, live entertainment, lots of give-a-ways and a Kids Zone that’s sure to be a big hit with children and those acting like children.
URM staff and volunteers will serve up plates of Cajun fried and Oven Roasted Turkey, stuffing with gravy, mash potato’s, green bean casserole, candied yams and much more to over 3,000 men, women and children experiencing homelessness on Skid Row this holiday season. Herbalife’s Smoothie mobile will also be on hand serving their signature smoothies.
Union Rescue Mission’s CEO Andy Bales said “We are honored to invite all of our friends experiencing homelessness over for this very special Thanksgiving dinner, made and served with love! We hope that it will be a life changing event and one that starts the journey home for many. Thanks to our community for providing the resources to make this possible!”
When: Saturday, November 21, 2009. 200 Turkeys will be deep fried on San Pedro St.
beginning @ 1:30 a.m.
Event Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Union Rescue Mission
545 South San Pedro Street (between 5th & 6th on San Pedro)
Why: Union Rescue Mission along with major sponsor Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, and
KJLH Radio Free will continue to bring people together as long as there is a need for
hope & healing.
Note: The visuals of 20 turkey fryers cooking 200 turkeys in the middle of the night (1:30 a.m.) for people experiencing homeless is a great photo & film opportunity. Also, the Kid Zone activities, rock climbing, bouncers, arts & crafts and interactive games.
About Union Rescue Mission
Union Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor and 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
Veterans Honored with Daily Grill Lunch (Updated)
The Daily Grill came down to URM on Wednesday to serve up lunch for many homeless Veterans. The Veterans sat at a special table, and were served a delicious meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed green salad, penne pasta with rock shrimp, and cobbler, which was topped off with ice cream by children at URM!
The Daily Grill also announced that they will be donating a portion of all proceeds from cobbler sales throughout the rest of 2009 to the Union Rescue Mission! Thank you so much to the Daily Grill for your generosity, and for all the veterans who so selflessly served our country!
