Indian Hills Camp came all the way from San Diego to provide a summer camp experience for our downtown kids. We had camp on the roof August 4th-6th.
This may be the first camp experience for many of the kids.
The theme for the week was Transformed.
Through Bible stories, games, crafts, and skits the kids learned how Jesus can heal our brokenness and transform our lives.
At the end of the camp, each child put his/her name on a broken piece of a clay pot and glued it to the cross.
For the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009
Total Meals Served: 1,075,703
• average 2,947 a day
Total Nights of Lodging: 310,705
• average 851 a night
Families (per family unit—URM & HGFC) 24,460
• average 67 families a night
Clinics:
• Health Center Visits, UCLA School of Nursing 5,617
• Dental Clinic Visits, USC School of Dentistry 5,948
• Legal Aid Clinic Visits, Pepperdine University 1,049
• Mental Health Clinic Sessions, Pepperdine University 1,302
Volunteer Services:
• Total Volunteer Visits 12,469
• Total Volunteer Hours 43,897
• Guest Requests for Prayer 3,306
• Guest Life Dedications to God 938
Program Graduates:
• CLDP Graduates 66
• Women’s Ministry Second Step Graduates 14
• Hope Gardens Second Step Graduates 15
*A guest is a person receiving emergency shelter and services.
Comparative Figures: FY09 vs FY08
Meals served:
• 15% increase (average 389 additional meals per day)
Nights of Shelter:
• 26% increase (average 175 additional individuals per night)
Families at URM (downtown):
• Families: 126% increase (average 21 additional families per night)
• Single Moms: 76% increase (average 13 additional single moms per night)
• Total Parents: 154% increase (figure includes: single moms, single dads, married couples)
• Total Children: 160% increase (average 40 additional kids per night)
Families at Hope Gardens:
• Moms: 37% increase (average 8 additional moms per night)
• Children: 32% increase (average 14 additional kids per night)
Emergency Shelter for Singles:
• Guest Men: 5% increase
• Guest Women: 9% increase
On Friday, July 24th, Andre Ethier joined CEO Andy Bales in cooking hot dogs for the men, women and children of URM.
He barbequed hot dogs on the sidewalk in front of the Mission on San Pedro St.
Dodgers’ sponsor, Farmer John, donated hot dogs that Ethier helped cooked and serve.
After grilling, he helped served lunch in the dining room to over 400 men, women and children.
He gave out Dodgers hats and often stopped to sign autographs and take pictures with the guests.
What a fun Friday lunch for the community at URM!
Thank you, Andre and Farmer John for your time, generosity, and support.
Ice cream on a hot day and an evening concert on the roof! That’s the life!
Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who served 750 scoops worth of ice cream to our families and program participants. Mmm…Mmm…
A special thank you to Bel Air Presbyterian Church’s City Sound group for blessing not only URM, but all of LA with worship music from our rooftop!
What an incredible time of praise and worship!
Even this teenage boy was drawn in–finding a peaceful spot in the back to listen while finishing his homework.
City Sound has been blessing URM with Christmas concerts for years! This was their first ever summer concert at URM.
Monterey Church of Christ brought 50 volunteers all the way from Lubbock, Texas to give the kids of URM a summer they’ll never forget…
The group put on a fun-filled Vacation Bible School including…
Fun games…
New friends…
And best of all…
Learning about Jesus!
Thank you, Monterey Church of Christ!
For 5 straight days Crossroads Community Church of Santa Clarita blessed Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens kids with a Vacation Bible School. Each day 15 volunteers led the children in all kinds of activities to learn about God, including worship songs, crafts, story time, and games.
With so much summertime fun the kids were sad to see our Crossroads partners leave…and so were their parents!
Thank you, Crossroads, for blessing our children and bringing light to their lives!
On Sunday, June 28th Union Rescue Mission recognized 23 men for their commitment to a restored life and the completion of our 12 month Christian Life Discipleship Program. Our chapel was filled with love from proud family, friends, and mentors as our graduates were celebrated for their accomplishment! We thank Key Note Speaker, Keith Phillips of World Impact, for his inspiring words and musical guest, Carol Picott, for her moving performance.
Excerpt from program:
The Christian Life Discipleship Program helps program participants in discovering their true self as created in the image of God. Consequently, healing takes place when men are re-parented and begin the process of learning new life skills. As participants come to know God, they realize that He will meet all of their needs, and they can have a greater sense of security as a result of believing and trusting in God. A relationship with God fosters an interpersonal bond of mutuality, giving a sense of belonging, nurturing growth, love respect and care for self as well as others. The ultimate goal of the Christian Life Discipleship Program is to assist men in growing in the “Image of God.”
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Colossians 3:10
Words from Andy Bales
July 21, 1931 – April 30, 2009
As a boy my dad endured through the Great Depression. He traveled on freight cars, lived in a tent in Azusa Canyon, a garage in Compton, another garage in Baldwin Park, and a tin shed in Des Moines, Iowa.
He enlisted in the Army, a paratrooper. He married a beautiful Catholic girl, my mom. I was in my mom’s womb when they heard the Gospel presented in a powerful way. That night my mom and dad walked the aisle, and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. That day my Dad dedicated their unborn baby, to the Lord. I was blessed from even before my first day on earth. What a difference that made in my life.
My dad’s choice to follow the Lord and dedicate my life to the Lord made an eternal difference in my life and the lives of my children and their children.
For 15 years he struggled as a butcher. He then moved to a feed company as a warehouse worker at $2.38 an hour, and worked himself all the way up to Vice President. He then designed one of the first spray washers and launched his own car wash business. He worked so hard to provide for all of us, so that our lives would not be like his when he was young.
When the gas crisis hit the car wash business tumbled, and we lost everything. My dad spent a few weeks, depressed, laying on the couch and contemplating ending his life, until I told him through fearful tears that he was going to have to get off the couch and get going. And he did just that.
He took a job he didn’t care for much, and eventually got a fantastic job. He also lived a more balanced life, and I saw him put in as much effort in church involvement and living for Christ as I saw him put into work. He went on missions trips with me and the youth group. He visited the local Mission and preached at their services, and I went along with him to sing. My faith was greatly impacted by watching him bounce back and live for the Lord.
Proverbs 24:16 (ASV)
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
My Dad endured a lot and set a wonderful example to me of Christ-like perseverance in adversity. He was a good man and I loved him dearly. I will miss him very much.
Todd Leitz, of KNX 1070 reports on how the global recession has precipitated a new wave of homeless in Los Angeles. Union Rescue Mission’s families were a part of the story. Click the icons below to listen to the report.
URM will be featured on ABC World News tonight at 6:30 PT. Tune in to meet our children and families struggling with homelessness.
