When Jennifer looks back at the past 10 years of her life, she can’t believe how far she’s come. “I feel like I’m a completely different person,” she says. “I was lost in so many ways. I didn’t see it then, but God started leading me on a path to this new life. He’s done so many miracles in my life. It’s crazy how much He’s taken care of me. My trust in Him is really up there.” Like so many young women who come to Hope Gardens, Jennifer tragically endured years of unspeakable sexual abuse as a child. By the time she was a teenager, she was filled with anger and resentment, and she started acting out.
JENNIFER'S CHANGED LIFE STORY
A new path full of promise.
“Thank you for changing my life. I wouldn’t be here without you.” —Jennifer
“Those were pretty dark years,” she says, “but I think the biggest problem is that I didn’t have any backbone. I didn’t think I could say no to anyone.” At 19, Jennifer got married and had her first child, Leilani. The marriage, however, was rocky, as her husband turned more and more to drugs. Two years later, Jennifer and her daughter came to Hope Gardens for help, which is where Jennifer gave birth to her son, Malachi. Unfortunately, Jennifer soon reunited with her husband, and things got worse. “God still had a lot of work to do in me,” she says.
Over the next few years, Jennifer continued to struggle with her husband’s drug addiction. She needed a safe place for her children and herself. In 2017 the situation escalated and became unbearable. Because they had nowhere else to go, she and her children returned to Hope Gardens. “Honestly, at first, my plan was just to get myself together and go back to my husband,” she confesses. “But he ended up leaving me for good. It’s the best thing he could have done for me.
“After that, all I had to focus on was me and my kids.” Through counseling, guidance, emotional support, and prayer, Jennifer began to discover new strength, stability, and a new vision for her life. In time, she found a full-time job and got her driver’s license for the first time. “It was crazy how much God was growing me, without me even realizing it,” she recalls. “I got so much support from the staff. No one ever believed in me before. I never felt appreciated like that before.”
Thanks to the help of generous friends like you, in December 2019 after rebuilding her life, Jennifer and her children moved into a new apartment. “It’s awesome,” she says. “There is no way to describe how this feels. When I look back, I can see how God led me, step by step, all the way. God showed me that, no matter how crazy life gets, He has me. I may not know where we’re going, but God does—and that’s enough. I hands down trust Him in everything.” Jennifer is so grateful for caring people like you who made her new life possible.
ANGELES HOUSE
Almost There! Angeles House Offers a New Way Home
Offering true hope and healing to all the families we serve at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens, THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT!
Every day, thousands of mothers and fathers in Los Angeles are struggling to provide for their families. Today, at least 5,700 children—1 in 10—are devastated by homelessness. In fact, more mothers and children are falling into homelessness than any other group. However, today there’s hope. This November, Union Rescue Mission will open our new Angeles House in South Los Angeles. The new three-story building will provide food services, shelter, and many long-term supportive services to 86 families experiencing homelessness—all thanks to the support of generous friends like you.“If you have a child, you are welcome here,” says Andy Bales. “Each family will have their own space and restroom. This will be a tremendous opportunity for families devastated by homelessness to experience community and recovery.”
Back to school!
Thanks to your generosity, children at Union Rescue Mission will return with new clothes, backpacks, and school supplies, as well as the confidence they need to learn, succeed, and thrive!
YOUR gifts are bringing families home!
Help More Families Find Their Way Home
Los Angeles is experiencing a painful rise in the number of families falling into homelessness, especially mothers and young children. Many of these mothers and children are trying to survive in cars, garages, tents, abandoned buildings, or worse.
Union Rescue Mission has always promised that we will never turn away a single mother with children, a single father with kids, or intact families. We are the ONLY shelter on Skid Row that does this.
Over the past 18 months, as the number of families seeking our help grows, we’ve been challenged to keep that promise. YOU can help them. Together, we can help them rebuild their lives.
Thanks to compassionate friends like you, we’re meeting that challenge. And with our new Angeles House for mothers and children set to open soon, your gifts will help even more.
Every $58.88 you give provides a day of care for one mother and child. Please give today to help save more families from the streets. Thank you for all you do to help men, women, children, and families devastated by homelessness in Los Angeles. Let’s bring them home!
UPCOMING EVENT:
URM Over the Edge
Friday, October 1 | Saturday, October 2
9 AM
Hilton Universal City: 555 Universal Hollywood Dr. Universal City, CA 91608
Save the Date! Take the leap to fight homelessness in Los Angeles! Interested in a thrilling new way to help fight homelessness in Los Angeles? Union Rescue Mission, in partnership with Over the Edge, is hosting a unique fundraising event, offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rappel down the 24-story Hilton Universal City building. Individuals participating in the 2-day event are required to raise a minimum of $1,000. Proceeds will help those being served by Union Rescue Mission.
STORIES FROM SKID ROW
To learn more about Jennifer’s story and how your gifts have helped her find her way home, visit urm.org/stories.
NOTES FROM ANDY
Speaking the Unspeakable
It’s so heartbreaking and unthinkable that it’s hard to talk about. But we must.
The number of women experiencing homelessness who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse or domestic violence, like Jennifer, is overwhelming. I’ve seen statistics that well over 50% of women in shelters like ours were once victims of some kind of abuse. Once on the streets, it’s even worse. It’s not if a woman will be raped on the streets, but how many times a day.
The devastation and trauma they experience are unimaginable. The emotional and psychological wounds destroy their self-esteem and their relationships. Many turn to drugs or alcohol for relief, and far too many end up staying on the streets, victims of prostitution. I simply do not understand why we allow this horror to endure.
But there is one thing I do understand: God is at work—thanks to your support—offering true hope and healing to all the women we serve at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens. Here, you provide them with safety, a healthy family environment, counseling, and the love of Jesus. You hold up a mirror for them to see a new creation, to see a woman of beauty and their transformation that has become new.
Thank you for letting God work through you.
Blessings,
Rev. Andy Bales
President & CEO
To read Andy’s blog, please visit revandysblog.com