Rev Andy’s Blog

Gateway Program

A few weeks ago on this blog I explored the options of having people experiencing homelessness pay part of their own way when they come into a Mission or agency for assistance.

I am going to reprint the former blog, share the comments, and after that, I am going to share how you all helped us arrive at what I believe and hope is an excellent path! Thank you!

There has been some controversy over guests paying a fee for services, both nearby on Skid Row and in New York City.  The controversy arose when a local group in LA bought a building, and after a few months began offering a cot and a place to sleep for $125.00 per month.  Some advocates for people experiencing homelessness cried out about the fee, but also in regards to the fact that only the cot and case management was offered, and that there were no shower services or regular food program to go along with the cot.

In New York City a bigger storm arose over the City of New York carrying out a Client Contribution Program, a pilot program to charge guests with an adequate income a gradually growing fee to both sustain the shelter program and to develop responsible choices among the guests.  I have posted the link below:

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-08-21/news/bloomberg-charges-the-homeless-rent/

“Dusting off an idea dating back to the Giuliani era, the Bloomberg administration has quietly started charging rent to homeless people who stay in emergency city shelters, the Voice has learned.

With no fanfare, Bloomberg officials in June began charging residents of at least four Brooklyn shelters up to 30 percent of their income, records obtained by the Voice show. People who don’t pay could be kicked out of the shelter, the documents show.

Eric Deutsch, a spokesman for the Department of Homeless Services, tells the Voice that the so-called Client Contribution Program is a “very small” pilot program for people with a significant amount of income in the shelter. “We’re trying a variety of new strategies to help families and individuals move towards permanency and into their own homes,” he said.

According to Deutsch, the first month at the shelter is free, with fees rising from 10 percent in the second month to 30 percent in the fourth month. Deutsch said the money goes into a pool that “clients” can draw from when they leave the shelter. But shelter residents say a number of people have already refused to pay the rent fee because they can’t afford it, and because the city hasn’t offered any additional rights or benefits in return.”

At the Rescue Mission I ran from 1986 to 1990 in Des Moines, Iowa, we had a similar practice.  The Door of Faith Mission was established by George Holloway, a man who had a 3rd grade education, spent 37 years on the road without a home, going from shelter to shelter, until he had his life transformed right here at Union Rescue Mission, I believe.  He returned to Des Moines, Iowa, with a philosophy of running mission’s differently:

  • He made it welcoming for the entire day, instead of making people line up at night to come in for a meal and a bed
  • He fed the men well so they could feel good, go out and work, and get help avoiding the temptations of drugs and alcohol
  • He required sobriety from those who lived at the Mission because it is difficult to stay sober when surrounded by the site and smell of alcohol
  • He required the men to work and pay their own way, because people feel better about themselves when they work, and pay their own way. It affirms their dignity, teaches responsibility, prepares them for paying rent when they move, and it provided 1/3 of the needed income for operating the shelter.  The rest of the income came from churches and individuals. The first 3 days were free of charge or paid by the County, subsequently the next 30 day fee was $6.00 per day, then $7.00 per day, and finally $8.00 per day to prepare the men to pay rent.

In effect, I learned everything I know about properly running a Rescue Mission not from my more than 15 years in colleges, universities and seminaries, but almost entirely from a man with a 3rd grade education.

I came to Union Rescue Mission with this philosophy intact, but I have not implemented all of the components of this philosophy as of yet.  I was reminded of George Holloway’s teachings the other day, when a front line staff mention that some guests residing free at Union Rescue Mission have an income of $1,000 and some an income of $2,000 and that it is difficult to watch someone stay free, eat free, and irresponsibly fritter away huge sums of money in the first few days only to be completely broke the rest of the month, while our worker has suffered 2 pay decreases and responsibly struggles to make ends meet.

I’d like to start a dialogue and get your thoughts on this dilemma.  What do you think?  Should Mission guests pay a fee to learn responsibility, prepare for paying rent, and help sustain the Mission’s operating costs during such a challenging time?  Thanks for weighing in!

 

 

 

19 Responses to “Resources, Responsibilities and Rescue Missions”

  1. Myles Rose says:

April 29, 2010 at 6:09 pm

When this is shared via the facebook button the link does not direct to this page, something breaks. Perhaps it is just a timing issue?

  1. Robin Vestal says:

April 29, 2010 at 6:18 pm

It’s tricky; If you decide to charge rent you might have a system where a portion is set aside to help people save to get into housing.
Obviously you don’t want to charge someone who has no source of income but everyone should contribute to their own well being so I dont’ think it’s completely unreasonable for the working homeless.

  1. Andy Bales says:

April 29, 2010 at 6:25 pm

Thank you, Myles. I have forwarded your alert! I appreciate the help. Robin, thank you for sharing your perspective. I also believe a savings plan is important. I really appreciate you weighing in!

  1. Tweets that mention Resources, Responsibilities and Rescue Mission’s | Union Rescue Mission — Topsy.com says:

April 29, 2010 at 6:27 pm

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Rev. Andy Bales, Dave Mahanes and Union Rescue Mission, Myles Rose. Myles Rose said: RT @abales: RT @urm Resources, Responsibilities and Rescue Mission’s http://bit.ly/cOPgDk […]

  1. Kristin says:

April 29, 2010 at 6:49 pm

I appreciate the opportunity to weigh in on the question of whether or not to charge a fee for mission guests. I am in full disagreement with the idea that mission guests pay a fee for their stay. That defeats the purpose of the many hardworking families and adults who stay at the mission in hopes of saving enough money to one day leave and live independently. What about the homeless who do not have jobs? They will have to continue to sleep on the cold cement because they don’t have the means to stay in a shelter that was originally built to support them? I have been donating to the mission for years and will no longer support the mission both financially and with hard goods if the mission decides to switch over to the philosophy of “paying rent.”

  1. Andy Bales says:

April 29, 2010 at 7:07 pm

Thank you, Kristin. I really appreciate you speaking up! Thanks for taking the time and for sharing your passionate response!

  1. Kristin says:

April 29, 2010 at 9:44 pm

You’re so welcome Andy. I truly appreciate what you are doing for our community. You are making such a difference in so many peoples lives.

  1. Roddy Rose says:

April 30, 2010 at 10:25 am

Speaking as someone who has benefited the from the Rescue Mission, I believe that there must be some accountability on the part of those who have an income of 1000. As an apprentice in the internet cafe I see the same faces day after day and month after month. It becomes grievous seeing people get a check on the first of the month, then they are broke after a week or so. Some of the men were at one time in the program but left on their own, only to come back busted and disgusted. Right in front of them is an opportunity to get help(including managing their money. The whole point is that unless one surrenders they will continue on the same cycle and get the same results which unfortunately will be negative results..
I know because that used to be me until I surrendered.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

  1. Andy Bales says:

April 30, 2010 at 10:34 am

Thank you, Rod and all. This dialogue is very helpful. Wow!

  1. Michael Bond says:

April 30, 2010 at 9:09 pm

When I heard about the organization charging $125/month, I was told the price included only a cot with a dirty blanket at night and no bathroom facilities of any kind. People were being told to go across the street to the Midnight if they felt the urge at night. What I was told sounded like a total ripoff of relatively defenseless people; it also sounded illegal to me. Of course, if the URM charged people, facilities would be provided and I assume meals as well, so the URM charging doesn’t bother me. Instead, it seems more like a tactical decision: will it help or hurt in the struggle to get people off the streets permanently? And it sounds like it may deserve a trial to see whether it works.

  1. Andy Bales says:

May 1, 2010 at 8:33 am

Thank you for sharing Michael. This input is all very helpful. I hope more people weigh in with diverse views. Blessings

  1. Mary Setterholm says:

May 2, 2010 at 1:31 pm

Hi Rev Andy. Perhaps the naming of the program is critical as it should reflect a covenant perspective rather than ‘taking from’? ‘Free rent’ should not be interpreted as a program of entitlement if, for a season, the service of ‘free rent’ saved a life. That said, at some point, dignity is not realized if one side does all the work: the binary system of elitism/impoverished would seem to be re-inscribed or replicated in an act of well meaning charity. it seems the plan of savings and money management, similar to debtors anonymous might work well.
been there, on the underside, so i speak from continued recovery. blessings!

  1. Andy Bales says:

May 2, 2010 at 3:02 pm

Mary, your thoughts are powerful and right on. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Bless you!

  1. steven varga says:

May 4, 2010 at 3:51 pm

i appreciate everything the mission has ever done for me thank you

  1. Terrence says:

May 4, 2010 at 4:37 pm

I feel that guests who can afford to contribute for their Services should do so. It will help them gain self-respect and In turn earn the respect of others.

  1. Jerry Thacker says:

May 7, 2010 at 8:32 pm

Hello Reverend Randy Bales:

First of all, I would like to thank the Union Rescue Mission for letting me welcome Jesus Christ into my life and saving it more than once! The Union Rescue Mission has always been available when I needed help the most! Thank you!

Many homeless people want to work, but the self-image they carry within themselves does not allow them to have the confidence that is required in getting a job these days. If the mission could show proof that they actually found a job and walked the person in need to the job site for his or her first day and then the person said that they would rather not work, then there is a possibility that I could see your point. Three days to get a job? Some people need three days to let their feet heal?

I am just writing you this letter to ad my voice on this matter. I already know how qualified the Union Rescue Mission’s staff (all great people) are. I even know that you have already considered the options that I mentioned, but I need pratice in helping others.

Thank you,

Jerry Thacker
yarnwinters@yahoo.com
Pacific Standard Time

  1. Benjamin says:

May 11, 2010 at 9:57 am

30 percent to the Mission, 30 percent to their savings account and 40 percent in there pocket. Most important, they’re getting three meals, showers, beds, medical, dental and counseling for that 30 percent.

  1. Akiliah Manuel Mills says:

May 11, 2010 at 1:28 pm

I lean towards the percentage system Benjamin suggested. A “Program Fee” implies that case management, housing advocacy and life skills training will be offered. These are great services but require staff. I am curious if the mission will hire ample staff, particularly for the men to ensure case management for guests can be accomplished and effective? If so, I see no hindrance. If not, I think it should be called “rent”.

  1. Brenda Mitchell says:

May 24, 2010 at 11:11 am

I propose that those individuals who do have income contribute (at a small percentage of their income, even if it is 10%) to the mission, as a matter of assisting to keep the resources of the mission available for all who desperately need its services. The small contributions from the many would be a way of acting in solidarity with those who could not contribute and could also work in concert with a savings plan to be fully accessed at the time of an individual’s departure. Those who are experiencing homelessness are often the most “in touch” and compassionate with others in the same difficult circumstances, and often wish to assist, in my experience.

First, let me say a huge “Thank You!” to all who read this blog and had the courage and took the time to weigh in! You really helped us.  Everyone’s opinions helped shape a new policy for us, especially former guests’ opinions.  We met with Myles, General Jeff, and Don Garza as well, and that was an amazing and enlightening meeting. We also spoke to our guests here.

 

I have to admit that one of the comments above that really spoke to my heart was Mary’s, “Hi Rev Andy. Perhaps the naming of the program is critical as it should reflect a covenant perspective rather than ‘taking from’?”

This, as well as the meeting with General Jeff, Don Garza, Myles Rose, and my past experience at the Door of Faith in Des Moines, Iowa, and our staffs and guests’ collective wisdom and experience,  helped us develop a new program, all voluntary rather than mandated, called Gateway Transitional Program.

 

Initially limited to 25 men and 25 women, our Gateway Transitional Program is designed to bridge the gap between our Emergency Guest Program and our 12-18 month Life Transformation Programs.  Features and benefits include:

  • A 6-month covenant relationship with a commitment to sobriety.
  • Attendance of classes in money management, job interviewing and job preparation, conflict resolution, assertiveness and time management.
  • Group activities and motivational rallies specifically for Gateway Program participants.
  • A dedicated bed in our men’s or women’s dorm complete with a footlocker for valuables.
  • Hours/curfew will be tailored to the specific needs of each participant, and their bunk area will be considered their space and they will be allowed to rest or study as they can. 
  • Participants will contribute $210 per month to Union Rescue Mission. $60.00 of this contribution will be placed in their own personal savings account. The remaining $150 fee will be used to offset the cost of the Gateway Transitional Program. 

 

Our guests are excited about this new opportunity to move out of the cycle of homelessness, and we are launching this month!  Thanks for taking time to consider, for weighing in, and for truly helping us shape a program that really is a mutual covenant to help our guests and our Mission.  Bless you!  Andy B.

Saved By Grace

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June 25, 2010 |  2:40 pm

Officials at Union Rescue Mission said Friday that they had raised sufficient funds to keep open Hope Gardens, a transitional housing center for women and children in the foothills of the San Fernando Valley.

“I’m feeling great relief,” said Andy Bales, chief executive of Union Rescue Mission. “We’re planning a celebration next month at Hope Gardens.”

Like many nonprofits, Union Rescue Mission has been hard-hit by the recession. Demand for the organization’s services, which include a downtown shelter, has increased 45% in the last two years, Bales said. But by late May, donations were down 21% from last year.

Unless the organization could raise $2.8 million by June 30, the end of the fiscal year, officials feared they would have to close Hope Gardens, which offers homeless women and children a tranquil atmosphere in which to rebuild their lives.

On May 24, Bales issued an emergency appeal for donations through his blog, Twitter, Facebook, text messages and snail mail.

He said key support came from individuals such as Scott Minerd, a managing partner at Guggenheim Partners, who provided $1 million in matching contributions.

“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and he’s really stepped up,” Bales said. “But it’s not just been the big gifts. It’s been other people stepping forward with what they can that has helped get the matching funds.”

The target was reached Friday morning with a $250,000 gift from the Louis & Gladyce Foster Family Foundation, he said.

Bales sent out a celebratory Tweet: “Thanks 2 you http://urm.org has received $2.9 Million towards $2.8 Million goal 2 Save Hope Gardens!”

The next step is to develop a plan to ensure the center remains financially viable, Bales said. All employees have already accepted two 5% pay cuts, and eight people were laid off, Bales said. The organization is also appealing for long-term support from Los Angeles County, which pays for security, counseling and other services at the site.

— Alexandra Zavis

This was the news story last week as you, our donors put us over the top in our fundraising efforts to save Hope Gardens Family Center and keep precious moms and children from returning to the mean streets of Skid Row.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!!

 31 days ago I feared for the worst as I drove home late one night after a Board of Directors meeting at Union Rescue Mission downtown.  I contemplated the fate of not finishing well, retiring in disappointment and disgrace, believing that I might be viewed as a fellow who tried hard, but failed.  It was not a new feeling to me.  6 years after I handed off the reins of Good Samaritan Urban Ministries in Des Moines, Iowa to a capable new leader and committed Board of Directors, this coalition of 120 churches that I had helped form from ground up and nourished for 10 years  closed the ministry and sold the property that we had not only renovated for over 140 previously homeless families, but also battled gangs and crime to provide a peaceful helpful setting for those families.  When I left, I underestimated the continued need for building relationships and the heavy weight of debt that eventually did the ministry in.  That decision that was made to close haunts me to this day, and during our battle to win Hope Gardens, opponents of Hope Gardens brought it up and stuck it in my face and it felt like a knife in the back.

So here I was again.  Our services at URM were up 45% over the last 2 years, and giving had fallen off by over 21%. We were looking at a $4.4 Million shortfall for the budget year that ends June 30th, and there was talk of selling this beautiful place that we had fought so hard for in a 21 month, $1.9 Million dollar legal battle, including 34 neighborhood meetings (beatings), that culminated in a remarkable 6 hour Planning and Zoning Hearing victory!

The worst part of all, I knew that if we closed Hope Gardens, before I could retire in disgrace I would have to have to be the one to tell the moms and children now living in peace and safety, that they would have to find other housing or return to URM surrounded by Skid Row and some of the meanest streets in our country. I was not sure my heart could take it, but I knew that I would have to carry it out.

We reached out to the County Board of Supervisors for help and shared that without their help, not only would we be unable to move 24 more single moms and their children to Hope Gardens, but we would indeed have to vacate the 34 families now residing at Hope Gardens.  We are still waiting and hoping for continued support.

I wrote a plea letter that I promised would be a once in a lifetime request, and based on my health, I truly meant that.  We sent the letter to our donors, posted it on my blog and shared our need through texts, emails, twitter and Facebook.

A kind donor and KKLA Radio Hosts Frank Pastore and Reba Toney provided a powerful radio thon that helped us passionately get out the word and we raised close to $70,000.

I drove to Santa Monica on May 24th a tired, broken, fearful yet hopeful man and met with our friend Scott Minerd.  He had called and asked me what we needed to save Hope Gardens, and I shocked him by saying that we needed $2.8 Million by June 30th to have any hope of saving Hope Gardens.  He told me a sweet story of how he wanted to bring his friends dog for a walk around Hope Gardens, but the dog had died of cancer. Tears welled up in his eyes as he told me that his friend had gone to the pound to find another dog, but the dog he picked out was mean, and he left the dog at the pound. Later that day the pound called his friend and said that the mean dog would be disposed of in a few hours since he was not adopted. Before he finished I knew what this huge hearted man was going to tell me.  Scott was now owner of that once hurt and aggressive dog, and he had named her grace, because she was saved by grace!

I asked Scott, no I begged Scott to allow us to honor him as our 2010 Hero 4 Hope. He was not keen on the idea, but said he would consider being the Hero 4 Hope if it would help.  Before I left, this giant of a man with an even  bigger heart told me that he would provide a gift of $250,000 that would be a challenge gift asking for others to match. He gave me a hug, and assured me that we had to do everything possible because, “we cannot let Hope Gardens close!”  I began to feel hopeful that a miracle was coming!

When we honored Scott as the Hero 4 Hope, we surprised him by having a partner of his who had flown in from Chicago say a few words. Scott was surprised, but he had a bigger surprise for me. He said, “I had a dream last night. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and in the dream I matched up to $500,000 of whatever was given at this event today!” I was amazed, but Scott was not done.  “Beyond that, I dreamed I would match any single gift of $250,000!”  I really began to have hope!  When that gift was matched by wonderful friends of the Mission, Scott said, “I did not tell you the rest of the dream. I dreamed the 1st $250,000 was matched and I offered a second match of $250,000.”  Not only did my faith grow at that moment, but I knew that indeed we were experiencing a miracle of love and that there was great hope for the moms and kids at Hope Gardens Family Center.

Like Scott, thousands have responded in their own special way.  A formerly homeless friend named Don who now has a home and has completely rebuilt his life became a monthly donor; a colorful builder of amps and guitars for premiere artists around the country, Myles, reached out to his network of friends, and you all gave what you could. Pastor Steve Faubion of Calvary Church Pacific Palisades presented us with a check for $25,000 from the church and shared that when the mission was hurting, they were hurting.  In addition the children at Calvary Christian school raised over $5000 when they were told they could wear jeans to school for a $10 donation! Early last week we were getting close when Pauley Perette, star of the top show on TV, NCIS, and a volunteer at Hope Gardens contacted me and said she wanted to help save Hope Gardens!  She joined twitter, something she had opposed for a long time, and with the help of a friend she posted a Youtube video asking her friends to join her in saving the most beautiful place on earth, a place where previously homeless moms and kids live a life of peace and hope.  We gained a huge amount of momentum from Pauley. It was remarkable.  Friday morning, June 25th, just 31 days after launching what seemed like an impossible attempt to raise $2.8 Million, a check for $250,000 came in from the Louis and Gladyce Foster Foundation, 1 week after the Foster family lost their wonderful matriarch, Gladyce at the age of 90.  She and her husband had given the cornerstone gift for our URM downtown building, the largest Mission in the US. Amidst their sorrow, they took the time and shared what they had putting us over the top, to $2.9 plus and counting!

Instead of having the dreadful task of relocating families, we are planning a celebration in the near future to praise God and thank each and every one of you who took part in this miracle!

I am trying, but I can not possibly put into words how thankful I am for this miracle that has transpired through you and friends like Scott who had faith, and more than that, had love for precious moms and kids. I broke into tears as I shared my joy with the Chairman of our Board of Directors that I don’t have to finish my career of ministry as a failure, and much more than that, hopeful moms like Angel, one of my Facebook friends, and her children do not have to leave the peace, safety and hope of Hope Gardens Family Center. Here’s what she wrote to me last night on Facebook:

 

“Thank you guys and thank our Heavenly Father – i will be giving prayers of thanks until the day i have to leave hope gardens! God bless and keep you all that created, support, and run these programs for us and our kids!”

Alone and Helpless

People sometimes wonder why I am so passionate about people who are experiencing homelessness.  I have to admit I don’t always fully understand my compulsion to be big hearted and compassionate.  All I know is that I cannot not respond to people who are struggling, and I have never met a person experiencing homelessness who I have not instantly felt an enormous amount of love for. 

This love explains a lot of my passion, but I also have a special understanding of the predicament that people experiencing homelessness face.  

I saw it the other day, a man, standing on the corner, lost, alone, troubled, frustrated, pounding his cane on the sidewalk and yelling at the top of his lungs at no one in particular.  He had no power to fix his mental illness, change his current state of homelessness, or even reach out to anyone for help. To those like me passing by, he appeared dangerous, and no one came to his aid.

His state took me back just a few weeks ago.  I arrived home and dinner was ready on the stove.  I received a call from a news reporter that a grandmother and grandson were living in a tent in Burbank and in need of assistance. I went to race out the door, and my wife said, “Eat your dinner!”  I said, “I don’t have time, I have to go!” and headed out the door without eating. 

I arrived at the library, connected with this sweet grandma, and encouraged the strong young man, who was a football phenom in high school and hoping to get into a local college football program.  We waited a bit for the URM van to arrive, and then loaded them up to head to our Project Restart program on the 5th floor of Union Rescue Mission. 

I felt encouraged that we were able to help, and headed to my car for the ride home and dinner.  I am a diabetic, and I felt my blood sugar go low, and became shaky.  I turned off my insulin pump, sat down in my car, recognized that I was too shaky to drive, found some Fritos and ate them, sat for a minute, then realized it wasn’t enough.  I was in trouble.  I started to have muscle seizures.  It took me a bit, but I got out of my car and headed for the front door of the library for help.  But I didn’t make it. I collapsed onto the ground in the dark parking lot, skinned up my hands and worse yet, broke my cell phone.  I thought, “I am finished.”  I somehow put my phone back together, after a struggle, dialed my wife amidst the convulsions, and spoke in a sporadic broken way to her that I needed help.  She somehow figured out that I was at a library in Burbank, but there are 3!

A few people drove by, saw me convulsing, but did not stop. Out of nowhere, a good Samaritan, maybe a guardian angel, came up to me and asked if I needed help.  I told him I was a diabetic, and he brought me a Krispy Krème donut.  Someone else held me while I struggled and poured orange juice down my throat.   They saved my life!  I don’t remember the call, but I guess my son called me some time during this struggle, and I told him which library that I was at.  A fire truck and ambulance arrived, picked me up, treated me with a jolt of glucose, got my sugar level up to a dangerously low level, and took me to a hospital.  My wife met me at the hospital, and boy was I in trouble for missing dinner!  I now have a picnic basket in the back seat loaded with enough snacks to feed everyone on Skid Row!

When we encounter people who are alone, helpless and struggling, we can respond one of two ways.  The first is to ask “what will happen to me if I get involved?”  The second is to ask “what will happen to them if I don’t get involved?”

I am so thankful for people who ask the second question and take the time to reach out and rescue others.  Thank you, for being one of those who rescue! 

Critical News Regarding Hope Gardens

Dear Friends, 

Thank you for taking time to read what I promise is a once-in-a-lifetime letter from me. Our last board meeting was the most grueling meeting I have experienced in my 32 years of ministry and nonprofit work. Everyone was kind and supportive, but the circumstances are alarming and battered my soul. 

We have increased our services by 45% over the past two years in a valiant attempt to step up amidst the continuing economic crisis to meet the needs around us. To make matters worse, this fiscal year our giving is down 21%. This is a devastating combination! We have cut expenses in every area, including pay reductions and the layoff of eight faithful staff members. We have also developed a sustainability plan that will strengthen us in the long run, but it will not fill the immediate gap in our funding and get us through the next few months.

I must share with you that unless we raise $2,800,000 by June 30, we will be forced to close the doors of our Hope Gardens Family Center — a proven life-changing and life-giving environment for women and children. 

This would be crushing news for the 24 additional families we are preparing to move from Skid Row to Hope Gardens. And it would be devastating to the 34 moms and 74 children and each of the 23 senior ladies who have escaped homelessness and are living a life of hope.

Closing Hope Gardens would be my worst nightmare…I am not sure my heart could take watching the precious women and children gathering up their belongings and moving out of the oasis of peace, safety, opportunity and hope we have fought so hard to provide.

If you would join with the tens of thousands who will receive this mailing and give a gift of $100, $50 or any amount you can spare, we can avert this crisis. Please help us keep these precious women and children from returning to Skid Row. Thank you for prayerfully considering this life-giving gift. 

Your co-worker in Christ,

 

Andy Bales

Resources, Responsibilities and Rescue Missions

There has been some controversy over guests paying a fee for services, both nearby on Skid Row and in New York City.  The controversy arose when a local group in LA bought a building, and after a few months began offering a cot and a place to sleep for $125.00 per month.  Some advocates for people experiencing homelessness cried out about the fee, but also in regards to the fact that only the cot and case management was offered, and that there were no shower services or regular food program to go along with the cot.

In New York City a bigger storm arose over the City of New York carrying out a Client Contribution Program, a pilot program to charge guests with an adequate income a gradually growing fee to both sustain the shelter program and to develop responsible choices among the guests.  I have posted the link below;

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-08-21/news/bloomberg-charges-the-homeless-rent/

“Dusting off an idea dating back to the Giuliani era, the Bloomberg administration has quietly started charging rent to homeless people who stay in emergency city shelters, the Voice has learned.

With no fanfare, Bloomberg officials in June began charging residents of at least four Brooklyn shelters up to 30 percent of their income, records obtained by the Voice show. People who don’t pay could be kicked out of the shelter, the documents show.

Eric Deutsch, a spokesman for the Department of Homeless Services, tells the Voice that the so-called Client Contribution Program is a “very small” pilot program for people with a significant amount of income in the shelter. “We’re trying a variety of new strategies to help families and individuals move towards permanency and into their own homes,” he said.

According to Deutsch, the first month at the shelter is free, with fees rising from 10 percent in the second month to 30 percent in the fourth month. Deutsch said the money goes into a pool that “clients” can draw from when they leave the shelter. But shelter residents say a number of people have already refused to pay the rent fee because they can’t afford it, and because the city hasn’t offered any additional rights or benefits in return.”

At the Rescue Mission I ran from 1986 to 1990 in Des Moines, Iowa, we had a similar practice.  The Door of Faith Mission was established by George Holloway, a man who had a 3rd grade education, spent 37 years on the road without a home, going from shelter to shelter, until he had his life transformed right here at Union Rescue Mission, I believe.  He returned to Des Moines, Iowa, with a philosophy of running mission’s differently;

  • He made it welcoming for the entire day, instead of making people line up at night to come in for a meal and a bed
  • >He fed the men well so they could feel good, go out and work, and get help avoiding the temptations of drugs and alcohol
  • He required sobriety from those who lived at the Mission because it is difficult to stay sober when surrounded by the site and smell of alcohol
  • He required the men to work and pay their own way, because people feel better about themselves when they work, and pay their own way. It affirms their dignity, teaches responsibility, prepares them for paying rent when they move, and it provided 1/3 of the needed income for operating the shelter.  The rest of the income came from churches and individuals. The first 3 days were free of charge or paid by the County, subsequently the next 30 day fee was $6.00 per day, then $7.00 per day, and finally $8.00 per day to prepare the men to pay rent.

In effect, I learned everything I know about properly running a Rescue Mission not from my more than 15 years in colleges, universities and seminaries, but almost entirely from a man with a 3rd grade education.

I came to Union Rescue Mission with this philosophy intact, but I have not implemented all of the components of this philosophy as of yet.  I was reminded of George Holloway’s teachings the other day, when a front line staff mention that some guests residing free at Union Rescue Mission have an income of $1,000 and some an income of $2,000 and that it is difficult to watch someone stay free, eat free, and irresponsibly fritter away huge sums of money in the first few days only to be completely broke the rest of the month, while our worker has suffered 2 pay decreases and responsibly struggles to make ends meet.

I’d like to start a dialogue and get your thoughts on this dilemma.  What do you think?  Should Mission guests pay a fee to learn responsibility, prepare for paying rent, and help sustain the Mission’s operating costs during such a challenging time?  Thanks for weighing in!

 

 

We Asked For This

Today, Carmen Trutanich, County Attorney Steve Cooley, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Sheriff Lee Baca and others issued a public notice at a press conference of a first-of-its-kind civil law enforcement action designed to curb rampant drug activity in Downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row by gang members and career criminals.  An injunction was taken out against 80 individuals, drug dealers, gang members and 1 entire gang, the Grape Street Crips, who come from the outside of Skid Row to sell drugs and commit crime on the streets of Skid Row.

Below is the speech that I tried to share as I was invited to speak on behalf of area Mission’s and Recovery programs. Our speeches were rudely interrupted by a group called LACAN. I’d like to take time to share my speech and our perspective in this blog.  Thanks for taking time to understand our point of view:

We asked for this. People selling drugs and behaving violently were waiting outside of Union Rescue Mission’s and other agencies’ doors, coming into our courtyards and restrooms, and preying on the vulnerabilities of our guests.

Over the course of a week, a woman was shot in the head and murdered steps from our back door, 2 men chased another man down who owed them money and violently beat him outside our back door on San Julian St., and our precious guest women cried and told me that gang members threatened and robbed the little man who pushes an ice cream cart through the neighborhood, “They shouldn’t have done him like that!” they said.  We felt frustrated and helpless in protecting our very vulnerable and precious guests.

We asked for help, and met with individuals representing our City Attorney, County Attorney, LAPD, Sheriff and others, and they have now delivered that help today.  Thank you!

As a colleague of ours shared yesterday, “This is the best news I have heard on Skid Row in 20 years!”  Larry Adamson, the CEO of Midnight Mission, said “With the progress we have made in recent years, men are staying in their recovery programs 66% longer with much greater success!”  This step will help in improving the success of our recovery programs.

We at Union Rescue Mission have had an average of 60 families with well over 100 vulnerable children in our Mission this year. These children have seen too much in their short young lives and experienced too much fear. Thank you, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, District Attorney, Steve Cooley, and all, for putting an end to this fear.

One of the very thoughtful parts of this initiative is the “exemption clause” through which those listed can leave the life of preying on others, and enter into a recovery program like the one we have at Union Rescue Mission, or as I like to call them, a life transformation program, and have their name removed – exempted – from the list.  Thank you for including this grace and hope filled opportunity!

We have made significant progress in our community — stopping hospital drop-offs, stopping mental hospital drop-offs, making sure women and children are not on the streets and reducing crime.  This injunction is yet another tremendous step in making Skid Row a true Recovery Zone!  It’s an important step in moving toward the day when not one precious human being is left to live in terror and die on the streets of Skid Row.  And, indeed, this is a step closer towards truly living up to our great city’s name, the City of Angels.  Thank you!

 

 

Painful Pill to Swallow

This has been a difficult, gut wrenching day. The prolonged recession has caused a downturn in our giving and having exhausted every other means of significantly reducing our costs, we were forced to join the humble ranks of those who have had to make the painful choice of letting faithful, diligent employees go.

I sent personal letters to each of the 7 employees who were released, and these couple of paragraphs were included in each of the letters.

“I want to thank you for your faithful, diligent, and sacrificial work that you have provided to Union Rescue Mission and our guests during perhaps the most challenging period of time in our 118 year history.

The prolonged recession has caused a downturn in our giving and we must reduce our costs significantly, and this reduction means that we will eliminate your position with Union Rescue Mission. I am deeply sorry. I have worked hard and prayed much in hopes that it would not come to this.

This decision is not about you, as it is all about these unbelievably hard times we are facing as an organization. I hope you will always remember that you were part of the amazing team at URM that stepped up to meet the great need of 2007-2010, and we will always hold you close to our hearts.”

I am not sure if it is harder for me to swallow the pain, or swallow my pride. I have been so thankful, so proud, that unlike others who cut staff and reduced services, we stepped up, met the need, welcomed all who came to our doors, sacrificed our salaries by taking pay cuts, and stopped receiving a 401K match, all to do the right thing.

Now we have joined the humble ranks of those who have had to make the same painful choice of letting precious people go. I feel responsible, and I am. The problem is that I am responsible but I am not capable of overcoming the challenges brought on by economic forces, and that is a painful pill to swallow.

The following scripture brought comfort to our staff as we met this morning to pray for our fellow co-workers in Christ as they look for other opportunities and to ask the Lord to continue to carry Union Rescue Mission through these difficult waters.

Psalms 138:6-8 (ESV)
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Life Transformation

Thirty-three graduates in cap and gown walked proudly across the stage last Sunday as we celebrated together the 12 months of hard work they had accomplished in graduating from Union Rescue Mission’s Men’s Life Transformation Program.  Friends and family packed the Chapel, acknowledging their feat with a standing ovation.  Graduate Brian Mitchell said it best, “I am a completely different man than the man who entered Union Rescue Mission!” Brian’s lovely girl friend, thankful mom, and proud Uncle and Aunt were overflowing with joy at what has happened in Brian’s life.  

This celebration is the life blood of Union Rescue Mission.  Seeing lives completely transformed, hearing powerful stories of change, like, “I used to be the guy addicted to crack laying out on that sidewalk out there (pointing to Skid Row), now I am leading my work team, leading worship in Chapel, volunteering to help others, speaking before the City Council, and visiting my mom for the first time in 30 years!”, and viewing the changed men and women right before our eyes keeps us motivated to do this work every day with every ounce of our being.  

This is why Support Life Transformation Programs is the 9th vital Step in our http://youarethemission.org initiative to end homelessness as we know it in Los Angeles.  Many, in fact most who enter into the experience of homelessness have significant barriers to overcome before they can return to a productive life on their own.  Devastating emotional impacts, addiction issues, insufficient job, life or people skills are all conditions that hold people back and keep them trapped in a cycle of homelessness and poverty. These barriers are not insurmountable or permanent, but usually take a structured, long-term recovery process that is available here at Union Rescue Mission, our own Hope Gardens Family Center, the Los Angeles Mission, Midnight Mission, the Salvation Army, the Weingart Center and others.  These agencies have helped thousands of individuals and families address and overcome their obstacles and return to the community as productive citizens.  

These amazing agencies should not be overlooked by the current push by many to take a Housing First and Only approach to ending homelessness.  
Do not get me wrong, as some have, we believe in the Housing First approach for the 10% to 20% of people who have been devastated by long term, chronic homelessness and are dealing with serious health, mental health, and addiction issues as a result of living on the streets for years. Housing First is absolutely the best approach for this group of precious people experiencing homelessness.  In fact, we are pushing for this approach for the final 750 precious individuals still left on the streets of Skid Row.  

However, a Housing First and Only approach would have been a disservice to the 33 proud men who walked the stage last week, and to all who walk similar stages after completing a Life Transformation Program.  To place them in a permanently subsidized housing unit with little expectation rather than encourage them through a rigorous exercise in transformation would cheat them out of finding their destiny.  As I closed the service, I shared the story of a graduate from 1938 named Joseph Mitchell.  He left Union Rescue Mission to create two popular games, Don’t Break the Ice, and Don’t Spill the Beans! Last year, during an unparalleled financial crisis, his estate left us an $800,000 bequest. He gave the rest of his estate to the Billy Graham Crusade.  

My final charge to our graduates is equally appropriate for our staff and the faithful friends who join us in the fight to end our city’s reign as the homeless capital of the nation.  “We have high hopes for you!  We expect you to go out and conquer the world!”

Winter Shelters

It has been our honor to participate with LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) in 4 of their Winter Shelters throughout Los Angeles from December 1st to March 15th.  We utilized the National Guard Armories in Glendale, Culver City and West LA, and added 200 beds to our downtown URM facility, to operate these Winter Shelters.  We contracted to operate 660 or so beds, but found many nights that we were housing up to 820 guests at these timely, thoughtful Winter Shelters during much of the rain that we have experienced recently. 

We chose to jump into this opportunity with our pubic benefits charity, not because it helps us earn extra money, or any other reason except that it helps us fulfill our mission: to embrace people experiencing homelessness.  It also helps us regionalize the solution to homelessness, the 4th step in our 10 step plan http://youarethemission.org to end homelessness as we know it in Los Angeles.  We firmly believe that every region, city and neighborhood in Los Angeles County should provide services and housing to assist their own neighbors who are experiencing homelessness, rather than sending their struggling folks downtown to the mean streets of Skid Row; as I describe Skid Row, it is the worst man made disaster in America and we need to end Skid Row as we know it by regionalizing the solution to homelessness.   

It has been a joy to participate in these thoughtful, helpful Winter Shelters.  We’ve seen people arrive at our shelters just 30 minutes after being evicted from their homes, experiencing homelessness for the first time.  We’ve seen senior adults, adult males and females, young ladies running from abusive relationships, young unemployed people, and families with children. It has been an honor to be there to greet them with a warm cot, good meal, and a roof over their heads in their time of need.  The challenge and heartache is coming up quickly; the closing of the Winter Shelters is on March 15th!  On that day, the armories close, funding runs out, and the cots go to a warehouse and the precious souls who do not connect with other hard to find services return to the streets.  It is hard for me to bear.  I grieve for days.  I already am grieving.   

The 7th of 10 steps in http://youarethemission.org , is a call to keep the Winter Shelters open year round as a much needed safety net! There are more deadly things on the streets than just the bad weather.  Homelessness itself is deadly, taking decades off the life of an individual and doing devastating damage.

Why in the world would we close down this vital safety net?

How can we send folks out to the streets who want to stay in a place that provides a roof over their heads and a connection with case management and vital services?  The Governor of California, during these extraordinary times, could declare a state of emergency, keep the armories open, and our city and county could team up with us and the other agencies running shelters to make sure that these 1600 beds stay open, and that our friends experiencing homelessness could be provided with a shelter long enough to get back on their feet.  It could cost as little as $1,000,000 per shelter to operate them at capacity(150-200 persons each night) for 1 year.   

For the sake of these precious souls, would you consider contacting the :

Governor: Click here for email form.

LAHSA: Click here for email form.

County officials: Click here for contact list.

City officals: Click here for email form.

 

Thank you!

 Andy B.

s

My Friend, Johnny

 One of the most important skills I’ve developed over the 25 plus years I’ve been involved in this work, is the ability to take a strong punch from life’s circumstances.  I took a couple of them last week.  A friend that I had shared about in a previous blog, who I ministered to for 10 years had finally sobered up, took a job, and was doing very well until he fell back into drug use, and fell off the wagon, so to speak.  That is hard to take, especially when you see so much hope and promise in someone.  But I won’t give up.  He is again in my sites and in my prayers.

Another friend, Brennan Harvey, better known to all of us in Pasadena as Johnny Redbone, died last week of cancer.  I worked 10 years with Johnny, but was never able to help him get off of the mean streets.  Johnny did not get off of the streets until he entered the hospital this Fall, but he is off the streets now, and at rest, I believe, in the arms of our Loving Lord.  

I saw real heart change happen in Johnny’s life, even if his circumstances did not change and his addictions did not cease.  When I met him, he angrily called me, “White Boy!”, and told me that “you took our land!”  Johnny was Navajo, from Southern Arizona, and I remember defending myself by holding out my tan arms and sharing with him that my Great Grandmother was Cherokee.  That did not quell his anger at first. When I visited him in the hospital just a few weeks ago, his attitude had changed completely.  He called me “Pastor Andy” as we prayed together. 

There were some challenging, even humorous times.  I remember Johnny telling me that he had just been in court for public drinking.  He shared that the judge reminded him that this was his 76th Public drinking charge!  Johnny answered, “Judge, every evening the folks in the houses around the neighborhood have a beer after dinner, and just because I don’t have a house to have a beer in, I get arrested!

I saw evidence of heart change over the years, in Johnny’s heart, and in mine.  One night, on Maundy Thursday, I was serving up front at church, and feeling some pressure to do things right on this Holy Night.  I watched Johnny walk in the back of the church, intoxicated, and I panicked!  What kind of scene would come of this!  I forgot all about my role as Pastor of Community Outreach, as advocate for people experiencing homelessness, about James Chapter 2:

James 2:2-5 (ESV)
2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”
4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Fortunately, my friend Randy saw Johnny’s predicament, made room for him in his aisle, and sat with Johnny throughout the evening service.  Randy lived out James chapter 2!

After the service, Johnny arrived on my front porch adjacent to the church, and sat with me. “That was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed!” said Johnny.  My heart melted with a mixture of thanks and shame.  Thanks for Johnny’s response to the Gospel message, and shame at my panic.

That Sunday evening at our weekly bible study, Johnny prayed a prayer, “Oh Great Spirit, I am not the man I want to be! Help me become the man you want me to be!”

From that night on, Johnny no longer referred to me as White Boy, but as Pastor Andy, and it was always said with love. 

The last time I saw Johnny outside the hospital, he was waiting at the end of my driveway with a friend, Otis.  “Pastor Andy, I am hungry!  Do you have anything to eat?”  I quickly made 4 ham sandwiches, grabbed some crackers, cookies, and soft drinks, and gave them to my friends.  I gave Johnny a hug, with tears in my eyes, and told him how glad I was to see him. 

I imagine that as Johnny passed from death into eternal life, he was greeted by our Loving Savior, Jesus Christ, who hugged him at the entrance and said, “Johnny, welcome!  I am so glad to see you!