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In This Newsletter

  • No More Secrets
  • The Power of Your Compassion
  • Take Action
  • Notes from Andy
The Mission — August 2019 2

NO MORE SECRETS

Shawn is One You Helped

The Mission — August 2019 3

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.

HELP TODAY

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.

WATCH MARTY'S STORY

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.

Slide Many men and women on the streets suffer serious health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure. The UCLA Primary Health Clinic at URM offers free comprehensive healthcare services. UCLA Primary Health Clinic Slide Hope Gardens offers sanctuary to single women and children devastated by homelessness, helping them transition to independence by offering them counseling, training, spiritual nurture, and long-term help to get back on their feet. Hope Gardens Family Center Slide 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. Sprung Structure NEW! Slide Toothaches, tooth loss, and gum disease cause a lot of suffering among men, women, and children devastated by homelessness. The USC Dental Clinic at URM provides free comprehensive care. USC Dental Clinic Slide Minor legal violations often create serious difficulties and barriers. The Pepperdine Legal Aid Clinic helps struggling men and women at URM overcome past legal issues. Pepperdine Legal Aid Clinic Slide Many guests at URM struggle with deep, psychological wounds and trauma. The Jerry Butler/Pepperdine Mental Health Clinic at URM provides essential psychological services for our guests. Pepperdine Mental Health Clinic

THANKS TO YOUR GENEROSITY, THOSE DEVASTATED BY HOMELESSNESS HAVE HOPE AND A FUTURE

HELP TODAY

TAKE ACTION

The Mission — August 2019 1

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 TODAY

Help more people devastated by homelessness escape the hot, deadly streets with your gift to provide meals, shelter, and care.

NOTES FROM ANDY

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.

The Mission – May 2017 5
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