General

The internet has been buzzing and we’ve had a lot of requests asking what, exactly, is Hope Gardens? So we wanted to give you a little more insight into what Hope Gardens is, and what it means to many mothers, children, and senior ladies.

Hope Gardens opened in 2007 on 77 acres adjacent to the Angeles National Forest. Hope Gardens Family Center is a transitional living and permanent supportive housing facility where about 120 women and children find sanctuary from the dangerous streets of Skid Row. Through the Mission’s comprehensive program, families progress from homelessness to independent living.

Senior ladies enjoy the comforts of Hope Garden’s “Sequoia Lodge”. This beautiful and safe environment is a far cry from the dangers they encountered on the streets of Skid Row. Children are able to play in safety – riding their bikes, enjoying the playground, or playing a pick-up game of basketball. Mothers can rest assured that their children are in a safe and loving environment, worlds away from the drug dealers and criminals on the streets. Classes are also offered to help moms learn life skills, such as financial skills, coping skills, and parenting classes. Many women are able to take their GED’s, continue their education, and pursue dreams and careers they never thought possible!

All in all, Hope Gardens is a place of peace and safety, where women and children can find refuge to pick up the pieces of their lives and start over. We hope you will take the time to watch the videos below to meet some of the amazing women who were able to turn their lives around while staying at Hope Gardens Family Center.

 

Kasha was able to re-start her life at Hope Gardens and become the woman and mother she had always strived to be.

Shannon was able to find solace at Hope Gardens while her family was going through a difficult time.

 

As of June 24th, we have raised an astounding $2,661,412.51 towards our goal of $2.8 million to save Hope Gardens Family Center. We need just $138,587.49 by June 30th to reach the goal!

All gifts sent in by June 30th will be matched, up to $500,000, thanks to a very generous donor! Please consider doing one or all of the following to help us keep Hope Gardens open for the mothers, children, and senior ladies that call Hope Gardens home.

Here is how you can help:

1)   Donate. Every gift we receive by June 30th will be matched up to $500,000.

2)   Text “URM” at 85944 to donate $10. Please reply “yes” when prompted.

3)   Invite your friends to become our Facebook fan. We will receive $1 for every new fan up to $25,000.

4)   Spread the news. Share our story on your blog, re-post our blog, or re-tweet our Twitter messages.

If everyone does just one thing, it will make the difference.  Thank you for stepping up to meet the need.

We are blessed with amazing, selfless volunteers all year round!  We thank God for each and every one of them.

In honor of National Volunteer Month, we are highlighting a few of the recent and upcoming activities that are only made possible by the generosity of our volunteers.

Beautifying Hope Gardens

On April 24th, a total of 150 volunteers from five different organizations came out to Hope Gardens for a Day of Service! Thanks to their hard work, we were able to complete projects ranging gardening to painting.  To see our photos and read more about the event, check out our blog here, check out our blog here.

 

A Special Treat for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and we are very excited for this year’s celebration!  Both Glamour Project and a very generous clothing company have done free makeovers for our moms at Hope Gardens.  And on Thursday, we will be hosting a luncheon for moms and senior ladies thanks to Daily Grill and our amazing volunteers!

 

Hunt.Feed.Fish.

We are looking forward to having volunteers from Hunt.Fish.Feed come serve a meal in a couple of weeks. The Sportsman Channel will be making a stop at URM during their 11-city “Hunt.Fish.Feed” tour to help provide food for people experiencing homelessness! Their initiative is unique–tapping into a new food source for those who are in need by providing meals “made possible by sportsmen to whom hunting is synonymous with harvesting”.

Again, we give praise for our volunteers who are making a life-changing difference in the lives of men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in LA.

 

Blessings,

Andy Bales, CEO

 

PS. Saturday, 9/11, is the National Day of Service and Remembrance and we will be having an all-out volunteer day!  Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information!

 

Here are few updates on how things have been going for us here at URM:

• The four Winter Shelters, unfortunately, ended between March 2nd and 15th.  Our downtown Winter Shelter served an average of 293 people per night, which was a 13% increase from last year.

 

• Our USC Dental Clinic had 639 visits, while the UCLA medical clinic had about 610.  Pepperdine Legal had 85 visits, and Pepperdine Mental Health had 161 sessions.

 

• We commend our many volunteers who put in a whopping 5,608 hours of service this month!

 

• 116,054 meals were served in the month of March!  At URM downtown alone we served an average of 2,752 meals per day.

 

• During March, an average of 815 people called URM and Hope Gardens home each night.

 

                   

 

                  

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.