Tune in to CNN to hear the story of Kenneth, a teenager experiencing homelessness on Skid Row who has his sights set on Harvard after he graduates next year.
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Pastor’s Luncheon Celebrates Church Partners
We are very thankful for our Church Partners who came out amidst the rain to attend our 5th Pastor’s Luncheon on Wednesday, October 14th.
The event was hosted by CEO Andy Bales and Jeremiah Johnson of our Church Relations Department. The luncheon was a chance for churches to learn more about partnering with Union Rescue Mission to help those in need. The group discussed the needs for our Christmas Store toy drive, the possibility of starting mentoring groups for the families and women with children here at Union Rescue Mission, and what is still needed for our upcoming Thanksgiving celebration. Special thanks to these fine men and women of God who are helping to make a difference in the lives of others!
For more information on how your church can get involved, please contact Jeremiah Johnson, Church Relations, at 213-347-6300 ext. 2225
Housing the Homeless Saves Money?
A new study by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles shows that providing housing for the vast homeless population in Los Angeles may actually save taxpayers’ money. A survey showed that those living on the street may incur more expenses than those incurred by public housing, through more frequent trips to the hospital, mental health clinics, and jail, which are paid for with tax dollars.
Of course, providing public housing isn’t a perfect solution; as with any complex situation, there is no easy fix. The researchers noted that “chronically homeless residents feared that public housing would be taken from them” and it “took time for them to overcome their suspicions. Even so, as they became more comfortable, “their qualify of life improved, with many getting off drugs and alcohol and finding permanent jobs”.
Another major factor to consider is mental illness. “Putting those folks…into housing is nothing but warehousing them without treatment,” says Tony Bell, spokesman for county Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. That being said, the government would need to address “the particular needs of the homeless before their problems become debilitating”.
The United Way hopes to educate the public about their findings, and hopefully, to use them to bring about positive change regarding the issues of homelessness in Los Angeles.
To read the entire article, Click Here.
80th Birthday Celebration Brings Love and Hope to Skid Row
Last Saturday, September 26th, the Biddy Mason Foundation brought together people from all across the city to celebrate Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray’s 80th birthday and assist many people living on Skid Row.
Volunteers gathered in the morning for service projects at Union Rescue Mission and the surrounding area. At 1:00pm, festivities began in the San Julian Park. The afternoon was kicked off with a party for local children complete with face-painting, cotton candy, and snow cones! Over 500 people were able to enjoy hotdogs and hamburgers, meet with a job recruiter, and watch amazing performances by J’n’J Soulful Steps and The Spiritual Hi-Tones. The party was complete with cake and the singing of “Happy Birthday” led by Mayor Villaraigosa. Volunteers also handed out water to Skid Row residents, which was much-appreciated on a hot summer afternoon!
Union Rescue Mission was delighted to be able to be a part of the celebration. Rev. Andy Bales commented, “What an honor it was to be invited to celebrate the One who sent legendary Rev. Dr. Chip Murray to Los Angeles. We were proud to assist Rev. Murray and 1st AME Church as they brought love and hope to the people on Skid Row for his 80th Birthday Celebration.”
Rev. Murray joined the faculty of USC’s School of Religion after retiring from pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME). Throughout his 27-years as FAME’s pastor, Rev. Murray transformed a small congregation of 300 into an 18,000 person church, with multi-million dollar community and economic development programs that have brought jobs, housing, and corporate investment to many neighborhoods in South Los Angeles. He is known throughout the community for his passion to have African American Church leaders of the Civil Rights generation pass on their years of experience, spiritual authority, and political pragmatism to the next generation. In 2005, he was appointed by Mayor Villaraigosa to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission (LAHSA) which coordinates and manages over $70 million annually in Federal, State, County and City funds for programs which provide shelter, housing and services to those experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.
Union Rescue Mission would like to send a warm thank-you to everyone who participated in the celebration; it is always a blessing to join with others to bring hope to those who need it the most.
New Los Angeles City Attorney Endorses Cedillo Bill on Counterfeit Goods
(Los Angeles) – State Senator Gilbert Cedillo, Shelter Partnership, and Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich gathered atop the Union Rescue Mission in the early morning sun to announce the new city attorney’s support for SB 324 and urged the Governor to sign the bill.
SB 324 would enable confiscated counterfeit goods to be donated to non-profits serving families and individuals experiencing homelessness or economic hardship. Shelter Partnership approached Cedillo, who has authored several bills on homelessness issues, with an opportunity to repurpose the goods. Under current law upon conviction or close of the case all counterfeit items are destroyed by incineration or dumped into landfills. Ruth Schwartz, Executive Director of Shelter Partnership which runs a 108,000 sq. foot clearinghouse of donated goods that are distributed to local service provides, and the attorney responsible for the Identity Theft and Fraud Unit in the Office of the City Attorney worked with Cedillo to draft the language of the bill. Provisions were made in the bill to protect intellectual property rights and electronics so items such as DVDs and televisions would not be included. SB 324 does enable the prosecuting attorney to ask the judge to permit a trademark owner to donate the goods rather than destroying items at the close of a case.
“Each year, law enforcement agencies seize millions of dollars in counterfeit merchandise. And make no mistake – we are fully committed to aggressively prosecuting those who illegally profit from prated trademarks. Yet in almost all of those cases, the merchandise seized is destroyed by court order. I am proud to stand here with my friend Gil Cedillo and Downtown LA’s hard-working service providers in support of good common-sense legislation,” remarked Trutanich.
The numbers of families and individuals encountering homelessness is equally concerning. At the press conference Rev. Andy Bales, the CEO of Union Rescue Mission, shared stories from the past year on the “tsunami” of people seeking assistance at the facility. Of the 223 families seeking shelter at URM from January through August of this year, 52.4% were experiencing homelessness for first time; 84.1% reported receiving benefits of some sort. The primary causes leading to homelessness were financial hardship, eviction, or job loss.
“The numbers and increases are incredible, but the picture of the many families living in tent like structures, called EDARS, in our chapel, community rooms, and conference rooms is an even more amazing sight to behold. The volume of people who get in line for one of our nine meals per day is also staggering,” shared the Reverend. “We need to recommit ourselves to the issue of homelessness and continuously push for creative options to help families and individuals stay in their homes or quickly recover; SB 324 is one of those options. I urge the Governor to sign this bill.”
“I am honored to have the support of the city’s new City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and appreciate the significant contributions the office has made to SB 324 over the past year. I am also grateful to partner with Shelter Partnership, URM, and the other service providers to bring about the basic, and more impertinently the systemic changes, needed to end homelessness. I hope the Governor will sign the bill and put good intentions to work.”
Operation School Bell Comes to URM
School time is almost here! In preparation for the new school year, Union Rescue Mission partnered with Operation School Bell and UCLA School of Nursing to provide much needed supplies and services to the families of URM.
Operation School Bell is a service project of the Assistant League of Southern California, where they provide new clothing, shoes and personal grooming products to over 5,500 children from families with need every year. On September 2nd, they partnered with Union Rescue Mission where they provided these much needed school supplies to 230 children from Union Rescue Mission and the Skid Row area.
Over 50 volunteers from the Anne Banning Auxiliary, Huron Consulting and the LAPD Explorers Program provided personal attention to the kids, fitting them with new clothes and new shoes for the school year.
After picking out a new backpack, children were able to pick new books and school supplies, such as notebooks and pencils. The children will be all ready to go for the new school year!
In addition to school supplies, Union Rescue Mission also partnered with UCLA School of Nursing to provide much needed health care to families. Both parents and children were able to receive physical exams and immunizations.
Thank you Operation School Bell and UCLA School of Nursing for blessing families with much need care and supplies!
Letter from a Thankful Boy
We wanted to share with you a letter from a precious boy who is staying at Union Rescue Mission. God bless you Pedro and thank you for your thankful heart!
Program Men Play in Soccer League
For the first time, the Union Rescue Mission Christian Life Discipleship Program has joined a Soccer League! Every Thursday night, the men can be found in the URM gym playing against other organizations from the downtown area. The Soccer League is in addition to other sport leagues that the URM program men particpate in throughout the year, such as Basketball, Softball and Volleyball. It’s always a great time of exercise and friendly competition!
This past Thursday, the URM team competed against the men from Angelus Temple.
Final Score: Union Rescue Mission – 10, Angelus Temple – 2.
Way to go, Team URM!
Ice Cream Time at the Mission
Staff and volunteers took time out of their day to serve up some Dreyer’s Ice Cream to the men, women and children at Union Rescue Mission. There’s nothing more refreshing than ice cream on a hot, summer day!
As you can see, the ice cream was much enjoyed. Thank you to Dreyer’s Ice Cream for the wonderful donation!
URM Meets with Pastors in the Community
Union Rescue Mission’s Church Relations staff has a luncheon for pastors in the community every month. As pastors seek to get their congregation involved in service, URM seeks churches to join the fight against homelessness.
We are grateful for new partnerships and excited to join together in love and service for Christ.