General

Temp Gifts Processing Representative

Union Rescue Mission (URM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless. Established in 1891, URM is the largest rescue mission of its kind in the United States and the oldest in Los Angeles. We provide a comprehensive array of emergency and long-term services at no cost to guests, including: food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling, and job training to needy men, women, children, and families.

This Position will last from August 2009 until January, 15, 2010. The person in this position will be responsible for processing donations (monetary) and updating Union Rescue Mission donor information accurately and in a timely manner. Must be comfortable working in ministry related environment. The following responsibilities are:

Open, sort and batch mail

Scan and encode response devices and checks

Data Entry – input, verifies and post batches

Verify checks ready for daily deposit

Filing, faxing, photocopying and other general office duties as needed

Carries out all responsibilities in an honest, ethical and professional manner

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Equivalent of High School diploma and or prior related experience; able to solve practical problems; good organization, verbal, written and PC skills; ability to interact at all levels; Flexible/adaptable

Please e-mail your resume to jobs@urm.com

LA Dodgers’ Andre Ethier Volunteers at URM!

On Friday, July 24th, Andre Ethier joined CEO Andy Bales in cooking hot dogs for the men, women and children of URM.

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He barbequed hot dogs on the sidewalk in front of the Mission on San Pedro St.

Andre & Family

Dodgers’ sponsor, Farmer John, donated hot dogs that Ethier helped cooked and serve.

Andre-Food Serving (1)

After grilling, he helped served lunch in the dining room to over 400 men, women and children.

Andre-Food Serving (2)

He gave out Dodgers hats and often stopped to sign autographs and take pictures with the guests.

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What a fun Friday lunch for the community at URM!

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Thank you, Andre and Farmer John for your time, generosity, and support.

A Wonderful Summer for URM Kids!

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…

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The group put on a fun-filled Vacation Bible School including…

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Fun games…

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New friends…

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And best of all…

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Learning about Jesus!

Thank you, Monterey Church of Christ!

Vacation Bible School at URM!!

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.

Praise and worship in the Chapel.

With so much summertime fun the kids were sad to see our Crossroads partners leave…and so were their parents!

Group

Thank you, Crossroads, for blessing our children and bringing light to their lives!

In Loving Memory of Carl Bales

Words from Andy Bales

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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.

URM Wins Gift Legacy Site Award!

Union Rescue Mission was recognized as a 2009 top GiftLegacy/GiftLaw charity. With hundreds of thousands of donors getting their gift planning information online, Crescendo Interactive decided to award GiftLegacy sites with substantial numbers of eNewsletter and website contacts. URM was awarded as a bronze-level charity.

Awarded sites had great eContact or page-view rates for three reasons. First, they had a significant eNewsletter distribution that brought donors and advisors to their website to be educated and motivated in philanthropy. Second, they have an easy one or two-click access from their Hope Page to the Planned Giving Home Page. Finally, each charity has a short “easy to type” web address printed on all their royalty-free GiftLegacy eLiterature (print newsletters, brochures, ads and postcards).

See URM’s Planned Giving site at www.urmgift.org and sign up for GiftLegacy eNewsletters and/or GiftLaw eNewsletters for professionals (i.e. attorneys, CPA’s).

Foreclosed Homes Create Homelessness in California

Foreclosure Home Articles referenced Union Rescue Mission, stating that the flood of foreclosed homes is primarily leading families to seek emergency shelter.

The flood of homes to foreclosure has left hundreds of families in California homeless and in despair. Most of these homeless families were forced to seek emergency refuge over the winter. In fact, the number of families of foreclosed homes who were seeking emergency refuge in Los Angeles County has increased twice as much as last year.

Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority executive director Rebecca Isaacs pointed out that families bore the brunt of the economic crisis. She cited several factors that trigger homelessness, including increase in rent, eviction, unemployment, domestic violence, foreclosures and health tragedy.

On the other hand, Los Angeles County reported a 4 percent increase in the total number of individuals who sought shelter this winter. The Union Rescue Mission reported a 14 percent rise in individuals and 631 percent increase in families at its four affiliated winter shelters.

Reverend Andy Bales, chief executive officer of the mission, noted that foreclosures are affecting more families than individuals. He added that individuals who recently lost their jobs were more likely to stay with a family member or friend.

Click here to read entire article

Homelessness goes Hollywood


Morley Safer of 60 Minutes reports on a unique urban fable that happens to be true.

Steve Lopez is a newspaper columnist for the Los Angeles Times; Nathaniel Ayers is a troubled man with a brilliant past.

They met by chance on the streets of downtown L.A. – an encounter that would change them both. The story of their friendship is a tale about madness, redemption, and the mysterious power of music.

Some of the footage for the story was shot on the rooftop of Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles.  The story has also been made into a feature film called The Soloist, which will be in theaters on April 24, 2009.

Click here to read the rest of the story.