No More Secrets
The Power of Your Compassion
Take Action
Notes from Andy
NO MORE SECRETS
Shawn is One You Helped
When I was 8, an older boy offered me $20 and took advantage of me. I felt so ashamed, I was afraid to tell anyone. But my shame quickly evolved into rage and hate—and from childhood on, I took it out on the world.
By my early 20s, I was so angry, mean, and fearless, local dope dealers hired me to be their enforcer in exchange for all the meth I ever wanted. I jumped in with both feet. I spent more than 20 years hurting people for a living. My life was a blur of fast motorcycles, fast women, fighting, drugs, guns, and jail. When I walked into a room, people trembled. And I loved it.
But what no one knew was that, despite my tough-guy image, I was really just a hurting 8-year-old kid crying out for help.
“God showed up in my life in a hundred tiny ways”
Seeds of Change
For years, my younger brother—a Christian—tried to get me to go to church. But I wanted nothing to do with God.
It all started to take a toll on me, though. The drugs damaged my health, and I was getting tired. More and more, my family didn’t want me around. My sins were catching up to me. So I slowly started dabbling in church with my brother, and I got into therapy and confessed my secret for the first time. It felt like a million pounds fell off my shoulders. After that, God showed up in my life in a hundred tiny ways, and I couldn’t ignore it. So, finally, in July 2016, I came to Union Rescue Mission and cried for help.
An Old Dog Learns New Tricks
When I came in, my attitude was, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But God proved me wrong. I slowly opened myself up to Him, with all my hurts, all my sins, and I surrendered to Him. All I’d ever known was hate and depression, but suddenly I started to experience joy. God softened my heart to putty. He even began to heal my relationships with family.
Today, I work full-time for Union Rescue Mission. I still look tough, but really I’m just a softie with a lot of love to give.
As a donor, you gave me freedom. No more secrets. You made all the difference in the world for me. Thank you.
Please give today to help more hurting people, like Shawn, find healing and hope.
Stories from Skid Row
See how your gifts helped transform Marty’s smile and restored his dignity.
THE POWER OF YOUR COMPASSION
The latest census from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority shows a staggering 58,936 people devastated by homelessness in Los Angeles County. It is the greatest man-made crisis in the United States today. But thanks to you and other caring friends, Union Rescue Mission offers holistic solutions that transform lives body, soul, and spirit—one precious person at a time.
Food, Shelter, Safety—and Recovery
URM’s core services provide nourishing meals, safe shelter, and a caring, structured environment to experience the love of God, overcome addictions or other life challenges, and start job training.
THANKS TO YOUR GENEROSITY, THOSE DEVASTATED BY HOMELESSNESS HAVE HOPE AND A FUTURE
TAKE ACTION
You Can Save One
The latest census shows the number of men, women, and children devastated by homelessness in LA County continues to skyrocket. These are people made in the image of God, living in back alleys, cars, garages, river beds, and worse. It’s a heartbreaking and tragic crisis, and as the heat rises this summer, their suffering is unimaginable. You can help one of them today.
What You Can Do for Someone in Need
Thanks to volunteer help, donated food, and community partnerships, your gift MULTIPLIES dramatically to help someone struggling to get back on his or her feet.
For example:
$25.40 can provide 10 nourishing meals
$83.90 is enough for 2 nights of shelter
$37.50 can provide a day of job training
There’s a person who needs your help today to escape our hot, deadly streets. Your kindness can make all the difference for him or her. So please send the most generous gift you can right away. Thank you!
Help more people devastated by homelessness escape the hot, deadly streets with your gift to provide meals, shelter, and care.
Body. Mind. Soul. Spirit.
Shawn’s story in this issue of The Mission is not an easy story to read. From the terrible trauma he endured as a child to the self-destructive choices he made as an adult, his story is heartbreaking. But he’s not alone.
I don’t have to tell you that the number of people devastated by addiction and homelessness in Los Angeles is an unprecedented man-made crisis. The streets are filled with men and women with stories just as tragic as Shawn’s.
Like Shawn, these are all precious people who need our help. Transforming lives like theirs is what Union Rescue Mission is all about. We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ, offering them hope, healing, and a way home. We help them heal the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds that led them here, through counseling, legal aid, medical and dental care, and spiritual nurturing, and we give them the tools they need to live brand-new lives.
Body. Mind. Soul. Spirit. Thanks to you, it’s what our Union Rescue Mission is all about. God bless you for all you do.
