In The News

Los Angeles County shelters brim with families – LA Times

Jessica Garrison of the LA Times writes about the increase in families who are homeless this season.  Several individuals from Union Rescue Mission were interviewed.

The economic crisis and cold weather have created a larger than usual influx of families to shelters in Los Angeles County this year, according to shelter officials and other service providers.
On Wednesday, officials at the Union Rescue Mission, which runs the county’s cold-weather shelters, held an emergency meeting to figure out what to do when they run out of hotel vouchers for families, which could happen this month. The numbers, said Chief Executive Andy Bales, are sobering: The region’s winter shelters and the skid row mission have seen 86 families in the last three weeks.

By comparison, last year the agency took in 20 families at its emergency shelters over the entire cold weather season from Dec. 1 to March 15, with 15 to 20 more at its downtown mission. Two weeks ago, the mission downtown opened up its fifth floor to two-parent families and single fathers with children, something it has never had to do before. It may also convert its chapel to sleeping quarters.

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Shelters see significant rise in demand – KABC Channel 7 News

KABC news interviewed Union Rescue Mission’s CEO Andy Bales about the increase in individuals facing homelessness this year.

Officials at a winter shelter in Burbank say they have seen a 1,000 percent increase in demand since their doors opened on Dec. 1. They blame it all on a very troubled economy.

As they are dealing with increased demand in the valley, shelters in Downtown Los Angeles are retrofitting offices to accommodate more families.

“I’ve been doing this nearly 23 years and I’ve never seen anything close to this,” said Andy Bales, Union Rescue Mission.

Andy Bales runs the Union Rescue Mission on skid row in Los Angeles. He said homeless shelters like his are being inundated with young families.

“I believe that we’re going to have to take emergency steps to make sure that no family and no children spends time on the streets and suffers the devastation of homelessness,” said Bales.

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Shelters, missions overwhelmed by homeless demand – 89.3 KPCC

Southern California Public Radio interviewed Union Rescue Mission’s CEO Andy Bales regarding the increase in individuals who are homeless.

Los Angeles County’s homeless authority says on any given night 73,000 people are sleeping on the street. More than 10,000 are children or teens.

And it’s getting worse thanks to the slowing economy and big job losses. Union Rescue Mission President Andy Bales says the number of people visiting his shelters is up three fold over this time last year. He says it reminds him of the 1930s.

Andy Bales: “During the depression, the Union Rescue Mission provided 42 percent of the meals that were provided to the city of L.A. and somehow made it through. We’re trying to live up to heritage.”

Bales says it’s not easy. Demand for his nonprofit’s winter shelters is up sharply, while cash and food donations are shrinking.

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L.A. County shelters being overwhelmed by homeless – Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Troy Anderson of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin writes about the increase in visitors to winter shelters around Los Angeles County.

Despite innovative efforts by the city, county and nonprofit agencies to help keep homeless families off the streets, officials at rescue missions and winter shelters in Los Angeles County said Thursday their facilities are being overwhelmed by homeless families.

Andy Bales, president of the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles, said the number of homeless families staying at the mission has tripled to 45 over this time last year.

At his winter shelters in Burbank, West Los Angeles, Culver City and downtown, Bales saw more families in the first three days this year than the entire winter last year.

“I think we’re in an emergency,” Bales said. “And I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. We get vouchers from the (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) to put families up when they come to winter shelters and we’ve used four-fifths of the vouchers we get for the entire season already.

“We have a bigger problem now than we’ve ever dreamed of before.”

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E.D.A.R. video – LA Times

Union Rescue Mission’s CEO Andy Bales is interviewed about a new invention to provide shelter to individuals who are homeless. The invention is called E.D.A.R., which stands for Everyone Deserves A Roof.

Merrill Lynch Day at the Union Rescue Mission

On Saturday, December 13th over 100 volunteers from the Greater Los Angeles Region of Merrill Lynch will spend the day serving meals at Union Rescue Mission. The day was originally slated for the company Holiday Party. Instead, Regional Managing Director Chandler Root cancelled the party and encouraged his entire team to spend the day serving those in need.

Employees and family members from each office in the region will be participating including Kelly Caves, Resident Director – Long Beach; Nadia Allaudin, Resident Director – Century City; and Richard Rozman, Resident Director – Manhattan Beach. In addition to sharing their time serving people who are homeless, the group will be bringing donations for Union Rescue Mission’s annual Christmas Store.

“Winter shelter opens” – BurbankLeader.com

Zain Shauk of the Burbank Leader writes about the opening of the winter shelter in Burbank. Union Rescue Mission is running the program again this year.

The city’s winter homeless shelter opened Monday, providing cots, showers and hot meals to 31 people on its first night of operation at the Burbank National Guard Armory.

Last year, the shelter drew only about 15 people on its first night and almost 150 on its most crowded evening before it closed in mid-March, said Andy Bales, director of the Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission, which runs the program.

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Subway partners with Union Rescue Mission

For the twelfth consecutive year, Los Angeles area SUBWAY restaurants will partner with Union Rescue Mission during the holidays.  SUBWAY staff members will collect toys and volunteer to prepare and serve over 1800 meals for guests at Union Rescue Mission.

SUBWAY will also distribute flyers to their LA area patrons asking them to make a donation to Union Rescue Mission at urm.org/subway.  As a thank you to those who donate $10 or more, SUBWAY is offering a $10 discount coupon that can be used toward a catering order of $30 or more (some restrictions apply).

Homeless shelter to open – Burbank Leader

Veronica Rocha of the Burbank Leader writes about the Homeless shelter that will be operated by Union Rescue Mission.

A winter shelter for the homeless will open Monday for the second consecutive year at the Burbank National Guard Armory, to provide shelter for up to 150 people during the year’s coldest months.

The armory will host the shelter through March 15, said Andy Bales, director of the Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission, which runs the program.

“We really think it’s important to get them out of the cold and rain,” he said.

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