Christmas Treat for the pets of Skid Row!

Last weekend, the pets of Skid Row received a Christmas treat! Hollywood Grooming, a mobile pet grooming company, came to URM to brighten the day of Skid Row residents – and their pets! Offering grooming services to dogs and cats, Hollywood Grooming brought smiles to the faces of pets and their owners as they helped them out with something they might not otherwise be able to afford. They also partnered with Pet Express to provide free leashes, collars, food and treats!

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Nearly 40 dogs and cats were beautified during the event! Pets are a part of many people’s lives, including people who are experiencing homelessness. We are so thankful to Hollywood Grooming for recognizing this, and coming to Skid Row to bless so many people!

It’s the Grand Opening of our Thrift Store!

URM 2014

We are super excited to announce the Grand Opening of the URM Thrift Store and we’d like to invite you to celebrate with us!

Please join us at 280 E. Arrow Hwy, Covina CA on Saturday, November 1st, for the grand opening of the newest thrift store in town! To celebrate our kick off, the grand opening will include Free Refreshments for the first 200 customers (Kettle Korn, Specialty Cookies, and Ice Cold Beverages) and we’ll have a store-wide Treasure Hunt where we will mix in free items with the other merchandise on our racks and shelves. Plus, we are giving YOU a 15% discount on all your purchases and each customer will be given a raffle ticket to win an assortment of Great Prizes (iPod Touch, XBOX One, and Gift Cards)!

Make sure you don’t miss out this great event!

Store hours 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The official ribbon cutting will begin at 9:00 am 

About Union Rescue Mission

Union Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness. Established in 1891, URM is one of the largest rescue missions of its kind in the United States and is the oldest in Los Angeles.  It provides a comprehensive array of emergency and long-term services, including food, shelter, clothing; medical and dental care; Christian recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling, and job training to needy men, women, children and families.  For more information, please visit urm.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updates about the Mission’s Learning Center!

LAD2Recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) and Andre Ethier granted $100,000 to the Mission to support the renovation of our Learning Center – soon to be called the “Andre and Maggie Ethier Learning Center”!

After the room was cleared and permits processed, 50 volunteers from various Dodger departments, Dodger RBI players, and Habitat for Humanity of Greater LA joined LADF for a paint day. Since then flooring has been laid, cabinetry installed, signage designed and much more!

With a little over 3 weeks to go, all final inspections and installations are underway (finishing cabinetry, installing ceiling slats, window treatments, dividing wall between classroom and general work space, built in seating and computer workstations).

We hope for a ribbon cutting ceremony after the post season, potentially early November, when Andre and Maggie can join us to introduce this new space!

This remodel will allow the Mission to have a functional, comfortable and inviting space, providing inspiration to hundreds of homeless men and women. And thanks to the significant support of the Dodgers and several vendors this project is truly becoming a dream come true! A sincere thanks to the following partners who are transforming this room even beyond our initial vision:

  • Dodgers Stadium Operations – Steve Ethier and Tom Beacom – project leaders
  • Dodgers IT – Ralph Esquibel – donated 24 complete workstations and technical support
  • Dodgers Productions – a Go-Pro is capturing the entire process to add to the overall video
  • Habitat for Humanity – introduction to our designer and the Habitat Restore
  • Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising – initial design concept
  • Ecovations – Darren Moore –  project designer and contractor
  • Kimberlina Whettam & Associates – permit support
  • O’Bryant Electric Inc – electrical materials and labor
  • MS Rouse Company, Inc – flooring installation
  • Morrow Meadows Corporation – electrical materials and labor
  • Nahib Youssef – Structural Engineers – permit support
  • Design Materials and Encore Commercial Flooring – flooring materials and labor (Nike flooring similar to Dodger clubhouse)
  • Sherwin-Williams – paint and supplies
  • Interior Services | Draperies, Blinds & Shades – window coverings
  • WB Signs – signage, décor

Aaron Valencia’s Ford Roadster Giveaway

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Aaron Valencia’s story started a lot like a lot of stories we hear at the Mission. His dad slipped out when he was a kid, and at an early age he was a victim of child abuse, and exposed to meth and heroin.

By age 15 he got kicked out of his house – strung out on drugs. The vicious cycle continued till he was about 19, where he decided he was sleeping at a park one last time. He awoke facing a liquor store he had just robbed and was nearby the local police station. If he could make it out of this situation he swore he would to go to rehab.

Once a junkie always a junkie – or that’s what he thought. He never met anyone that had actually gone through rehab. But one day, sitting on a bus stop, he made contact with a man who had gotten help from a rehab center in Norwalk. He wrote down the name and headed over – changing how the rest of his life would play out.

Initially, Aaron planned to get clean so he could get back to a healthy weight, but something clicked for him while he was there. He would leave the world of drugs, and eventually homelessness behind.

Through hard work and perseverance, Aaron has now become a custom car builder/humanitarian and founded the “Lost Angels Children’s Project” which focuses on children and youth experiencing homelessness. Earlier this year, he decided he wanted to create a car project to give back to the children struggling on Skid Row. He started researching online and found that Union Rescue Mission’s goals and his were one and the same.

“The kids [of alcoholics and drug users] tend to have it the worst… my program is to try and make the time that they are in [URM’s] care the best possible.”

Aaron is building a 1931 Ford Roadster that will be given away on August 30, 2014 at the 2014 Ventura County Fair/Ventura Nationals Hot Rods & Motorcycle Show. (Please see the attached flyer and photos) He is selling tickets for only $20 each with a goal of raising $50,000 and donating 50% to URM and the other 50% to the Grace Resource Center.
Tickets are being sold at several locations (please see below), and URM’s Christine Calderon (CCalderon@urm.org) is selling some as well.

It’s preferred that the winner or representative be present during the give away. If winner is not present Aaron will continue to contact the winner by phone, email and social media for the next 3 days to claim the prize!

Locations
-BURBANK – 8 BALL GALLERY, 3424 W. MAGNOLIA BLVD

-ORANGE – SO CAL MERCEDES PARTS 1436 MANZANITA ST

-SANTA ANA – TRES NOIR 3617 W MACARTHUR BLVD #505

-LONG BEACH – SYNDICATE BARBER SHOP 2749 E BROADWAY

-TORRANCE – STARLITE ROD & KUSTOM 1407 CARSON ST

-DOWN TOWN LA – ANGELOS BARBER SHOP 515 S OLIVE ST, # A

-STUDIO CITY – DOLOROSA TATTOO 11930 VENTURA BLVD

-SANTA CLARITA – ETERNAL ART TATTOO 18436 SIERRA HWY

-VENTURA – DEXTERS CAMERA 5N PACIFIC AVE

-VENTURA – NOBLE FAB 37 MCFARLANE ST

-VENTURA – VENTURA PICTURE FRAMING 3954 E MAIN ST

-EL CAJON – SOCAL SUSPENSION 275 N MARSHALL AVE

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Get Swinging! URM’s 6th Annual Golf Tournament

URM’s 6th Annual Spring Golf Classic

Golf Tournament 2012

Presented by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

May 10th, 2013 at Trump National Golf Club, Rancho Palos Verdes.

Union Rescue Mission as founded in 1891 by Lyman Steward, president and founder of Biola University and Union Oil Company.  The organization is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the United States.  Throughout the years, Union Rescue Mission has adapted its services to meet the most urgent and growing need of the community.  From a stellar men’s program to supporting the growing number of women and children on the streets of Los Angeles by providing them emergency overnight shelter at its 225,000 sq.ft. facility in Los Anglees and providing transitional living for women and children and permanent supportive housing for senior women at Hope Gardens Family Center near Sylmar, California.  Thanks to generous donations of caring individuals and organizations, URM continues its legacy of helping to transform lives of men, women, and children. Our Annual Spring Golf Classic is a vehicle for positive change and restored hope for those experiencing homelessness and have found their way to Union Rescue Mission.  Limited to 144 golfers, the scramble format tournament promises a day of fun with contests, awesome prizes, good food, and great people.  Regardless of your score, you will head home knowing you’ve helped to bring hope and healing to people who desperate need it by supporting a worthy organization that has been making a difference in our city since 1891.  Not a golfer?  No worries, there are a number of ways that you can be part of this special day and make a lasting difference in someones life.  Join us for other activities, team awards and dinner.  Perhaps sponsor a round of golf for our Program men or women or consider promoting your product or service in our Commemorative Program Book.  It all adds up!  We look forward to hearing from you!

To become a sponsor, advertise in our program, register to play, or simply get more information, please call Shaeideh Prince at (213) 347-6352

URM Kids Compete in Mini-Olympics

In the spirit of this years Olympic games in London, the Rose Bowl Boys Water Polo Team decided to host a special event for the kids at URM. The team is preparing to compete in the Jr. Olympics at the end of this month but wanted to take some time to do something to benefit the community. It seemed only fitting that they host a “Mini Olympics”!

Participants were able to compete in 8 games, from ring tosses to football throws, and were rated on good sportsmanship, character, and positive attitude. Awesome prizes (including tickets to Magic Mountain!) were given, snacks were eaten, and everyone had a great time.

Thank you so much to the Rose Bowl Boys Water Polo team, Coach Luther, and all the parents who helped make this day of fun possible! We wish you the best as you compete next week!