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homelessness
URM Men Win Championship Game!
Congratulations to the URM Men’s Basketball Team on being the Skid Row Basketball Champions for the 2009-2010 season!
“Every member of the team played in the championship game,” says Coach Carl Williams. “Our team went through early growing pains plus we lost two key players as well. We never stopped praying and trying to win every game. My main goal was to play individuals who commit to the philosophy of team. I always tell my team, “Never give up and never quit.” Even my young sons Zachary and Izayah know that quote very well. In life, things may start out rough but God has a plan for your life. The plan can only materialize if you never give up and never quit.”
The championship game was held Wednesday, January 20th at 7:00pm here at Union Rescue Mission’s gym. Although the opposing “Skid Row Street Ballers” played a tough game, our guys outplayed them for a 56 -44 win!
My Response to Haiti & Pat Robertson
A friend of mine asked me about Haiti and Pat Robertson’s claim that Haiti had signed a pact with the Devil. While I do not believe Mr. Robertson’s unfortunate claim, I have seen evidence in Haiti that Satan is alive and well. I attribute that to a lack of hope, a tremendous lack of opportunity, a lack of basic infrastructure, structure, and weak greedy leadership.
During a mission trip to Haiti in 1999, I learned that in desperation, all of the fruit trees had been eaten bare, many of the trees had been burned as firewood for warmth and there were no birds because they had been eaten too. Aid to the Government from other countries had been pocketed by greedy leaders instead of invested into working water systems, electric plants, or sewer systems and people were often on the edge of all-out riot in response to the difficulty they were living in. When we traveled we would see tires being placed in the road and lit on fire to protest the conditions and the lack of government response. We learned that many of the men had several wives and households, and they would sit and play dominoes while the women and children went hungry or depended on charity as there were not many prospects for employment. I tried to use an outhouse at the Missionary compound that we stayed in and when I walked in it was filled with large tarantulas-over 100. I did not stay to use the facilities! I saw evidence of voodoo worship throughout my visit, Mardi Gras parades filled with raucous crowds and violence, and at one point I was even threatened by 10 spear wielding men who had painted themselves with tar and colorful paint. I still have the video. It was a very scary, hopeless place that appeared to be on the edge of violence at all times.
Recent news reports from Anderson Cooper on CNN show that not much has changed since my trip in 1999. Haiti is so troubled that while thousands of people were trying to rest in an open park, others were screaming, “Flood, Tsunami” causing the poor resting souls to panic, run, and drop what little goods they had. Then the opportunists would run in and take the dropped precious goods.
Haiti reminds me of the condition Skid Row LA was in when I arrived, but on a much larger scale. When I came to Skid Row there were over 2000 desperate people on the streets and Commander Andy Smith of the LAPD described it as Mardi Gras on crack. Skid Row had not signed a pact with Satan, but was severely lacking hope, opportunity, structure and strong selfless leadership. The change brought about on Skid Row through the investment of resources, the Safer-Cities Initiative of the LAPD, the building of new permanent supportive housing, the renewed outreach efforts, our own welcoming of over 600 more guests into URM, and some self-less leadership gives me hope that things can change in Haiti, even after this devastating earthquake.
What I learned early on in my work in difficult neighborhoods, Haiti, and Skid Row LA is that the desperation, misery, hopelessness, and even destructive behaviors present were not caused by the sins of the people in these areas, but the sins of all.
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This includes Pat Robertson and me! Most folks on Skid Row LA have been abandoned and forgotten by the world. Some have actually been dumped on the streets by others, including hospitals! Others were born into circumstances without opportunity and were never given a chance of success, while many of us took every opportunity to care for ourselves and not look back. This is true regarding the world’s relationship with Haiti as well. Likewise, I left Haiti in 1999 and did not have the courage or wherewithal to return to try to offer hope and change things. This is more a reflection of me and the rest of the world’s shortcomings than the people of Haiti.
If we leave one precious person on the streets of Skid Row, or if we turn our back on the people of Haiti, in their time of need, the sin and shame of that will be on us.
Charity alone will not change things. Charity alone has left the people on Skid Row and in Haiti dependent on others for daily sustenance just to survive. We must move beyond that. We at URM are pursuing the creation of a grocery store, business center, and the building of additional housing on Skid Row, in a pursuit of our 3 year goal to cut the number of people living on the street of skid row by 90%. We need to have a holy discontent and not tolerate one precious human being left on the streets of our city. We need to have that same holy discontent and no longer tolerate the conditions that the beautiful precious people of Haiti are living in. Before this devastating quake, 80% were living below poverty, 50% were illiterate, and they were living 5 persons to a room. I can’t even imagine the conditions or numbers now. This is the time to take action and make sure that no one in our hemisphere has to tolerate these unbearable living conditions.
Like we are seeing on Skid Row, the transformation of Haiti will take someone, some entity to come in with capital invested in opportunities that will both provide servant leadership, needed resources, and the hiring of the people themselves to build the needed homes and services. Haiti needs someone to come in with resources, hire the Haitian people, and build affordable safe housing, electrical and water infrastructures, and restore the food infrastructure.
Despite the despair and hopelessness I witnessed during my trip to Haiti, what has stayed in my mind is the tremendous beauty of the people and the hope, courage and strength they possessed.
I am compelled by Jesus Christ and the Gospel to do all I can to act now to help these precious ones. My heartfelt prayer is that many will join me. Together, we can bring hope to their land.
Job 31:16-40 (NIV)
16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
17 if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless–
18 but from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my birth I guided the widow–
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a garment,
20 and his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint.
23 For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
24 “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,
26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,
28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him–
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against his life–
31 if the men of my household have never said, ‘Who has not had his fill of Job’s meat?’–
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler–
33 if I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside
35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense–let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown.
37 I would give him an account of my every step; like a prince I would approach him.)–
38 “if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
Isaiah 58:6-12 (NIV)
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Blessings,
Rev. Andy Bales & Team
New Year’s Resolve!
I don’t know about you, but I made more than 1 New Year’s Resolution this last week. I started the first one this morning. When I arrived at Union Rescue Mission, I took the stairs rather than the elevator – good for my heart and my waist line! I was fortunate enough, or unfortunate enough, to battle an illness and busyness through the Holidays that helped me lose 15 lbs! I have resolved to lose another 15 lbs by March 1st. I am avoiding desserts, fried foods, and I am determined to eat more vegetables! I am going to make time to ride my bicycle enough each week to strengthen my heart as well. I also re-committed to taking time each day to read a couple of Read Through the Bible programs and daily devotionals, something I committed to last November 1st, after hearing my friend and mentor John Perkins say, “How did I persevere? By being discipled in the Word of God!”, but I let that one slip on too many days.
However, my biggest resolve this year is to do what I can and say what I must to change the heart of this great city of Los Angeles, and help us live up to the title of the City of Angels by ending our reign as the Capital of Homelessness in the U.S. I know hearts can change towards people who are experiencing homelessness, because I had my own change of heart 24 years ago. One day, one of my students mistreated a “weaker” student and it broke my heart. So I preached Matthew 25 verses 31-44 to them, where Christ returns, separates the sheep from the goats, and He says, “come and take my inheritance prepared for you since the creation, for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. For whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it unto me.” It was the best sermon I have ever preached! The following Sunday, just days later, I was eating in my booth at the parking lot that I worked at on the weekend. A man who was homeless asked me for my sandwich. I said, “No, I need my sandwich.” His face dropped with disappointment as he walked into the darkness and out into the snow. Immediately, I heard that still small voice. “Andy, here was your chance to practice what you preached, and you missed it.” I prayed for another chance. I found the man and fed him dinner. That’s the day God truly changed my heart. I’ve been working in Missions and with people who are experiencing homelessness ever since.
Today I would strongly suggest that it is impossible to be a true believer or a faithful religious person if we practice spiritual disciplines like prayer, bible study, worship, even fasting, but do not respond with love in action to human beings, brothers and sisters who are living on the streets of our city. These struggling people represent Jesus Christ on earth, and our response to them is our response to Jesus himself. Matthew 25:31 sums it up well, but it finds its root in Isaiah 58:6-11 (ESV):
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Will you resolve with me, to work toward the day when not one precious human being will be left sleeping on the streets of our city? Learn more about how you can take action at youarethemission.com
2,260 Subway Sandwiches Served at URM!
Thanks to 100 volunteers from Subway restaurants, URM residents enjoyed delicious Subway sandwiches for lunch on Tuesday, December 22nd.
Subway restaurants have been great supporters of URM. This year they also helped raise about $14,000 to help with our Christmas Store!
Some of the leaders from Subway even joined us in our tradition of ‘ringing the bell’ to celebrate donations received; they have been strongly supporting Union Rescue Mission for 14 years!
Thank you, Subway, for all you do- you are greatly appreciated!
Project Homeless Connect Coming to Skid Row
The fourth annual Project Homeless Connect Day- Downtown LA will be held on Thursday, December 10th. The event will be held on 6th street, between Wall and San Pedro, and will run from about 10:00 am until 2:00pm.
Project Homeless Connect is part of a national initiative designed to bring together service providers, agencies, and organizations to provide housing, hospitality, information, health-care and other services for our nation’s homeless population. Los Angeles County, along with Santa Monica, Long Beach, Pasadena, Downtown LA, South Los Angeles, and the East San Gabriel Valley will each be hosting an event to bring awareness and connect those experiencing homelessness to much needed services. The goal is to provide area homeless and working poor access to the assistance they need to become self-sufficient and to ultimately obtain affordable housing.
Some of the day’s activities will include:
- Health related services – HIV/STD testing, flu shots, screenings, education
- Public information distribution by DPSS, DCFS, DMH, LASD, LAPD
- Legal Support and Advocacy
- Hygiene Kits (i.e. toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
- Dental Education
- Community Referral Service
- In addition to Music & Entertainment, Food to be provided, Jumper, etc.
Project Homeless Connect Day will:
- Unite government, volunteers, non-profits, businesses, civic leaders, social service providers, and faith-based organizations, to create single points of engagement and entry for homeless individuals and families.
- Engage the general public in offering assistance to people who are homeless through volunteer opportunities.
- Create a unique opportunity for homeless citizens to access services in a supportive community-type setting.
- Provide the necessary connections for homeless individuals and families to get started on the pathway to self-sufficiency.
Get Involved and Help Make a Difference
Project Homeless Connect Day is a great opportunity for you and your organization to get involved with doing your part in trying to reduce the County’s homeless population. There are several ways to be a part of this special event.
- Monetary donations are needed for supplies, activities, lunches, security, logistics, and other items that will be identified as the planning progresses.
- In-Kind donations of all sorts are needed. Hygiene supplies, phone cards, food products, beverages, t-shirts, catering, socks, and much more is needed.
- Volunteers to assist on the day of the event. Hundreds of volunteers will be needed to serve lunches, escort people through the service providers, provide hospitality services, and assist with various tasks throughout the day.
If you are interested in getting involved in any way, or would like more information, please contact Sara Farnsworth at (213) 316-2752 or via email at projecthomelessconnect@urm.org.
Union Rescue Mission to Hold Annual Thanksgiving Street Festival
MEDIA ALERT – For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Kitty Davis-Walker
(213) 673-4585 or (213) 507-5562
Email: kwalker@urm.org
UNION RESCUE MISSION TO SERVE THREE THOUSAND THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21st
AT ANNUAL THANKSGIVING STREET FESTIVAL 2009
LOS ANGELES CALIF. (November 17, 2009) —– This Saturday November 21, 2009 Union Rescue Mission (URM), CEO Andy Bales will be joined by 300 volunteers at 11: 00 a.m. to transform San Pedro Street into a diners paradise. This year’s festival is sponsored by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and will feature a delicious Thanksgiving meal, live entertainment, lots of give-a-ways and a Kids Zone that’s sure to be a big hit with children and those acting like children.
URM staff and volunteers will serve up plates of Cajun fried and Oven Roasted Turkey, stuffing with gravy, mash potato’s, green bean casserole, candied yams and much more to over 3,000 men, women and children experiencing homelessness on Skid Row this holiday season. Herbalife’s Smoothie mobile will also be on hand serving their signature smoothies.
Union Rescue Mission’s CEO Andy Bales said “We are honored to invite all of our friends experiencing homelessness over for this very special Thanksgiving dinner, made and served with love! We hope that it will be a life changing event and one that starts the journey home for many. Thanks to our community for providing the resources to make this possible!”
When: Saturday, November 21, 2009. 200 Turkeys will be deep fried on San Pedro St.
beginning @ 1:30 a.m.
Event Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Union Rescue Mission
545 South San Pedro Street (between 5th & 6th on San Pedro)
Why: Union Rescue Mission along with major sponsor Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, and
KJLH Radio Free will continue to bring people together as long as there is a need for
hope & healing.
Note: The visuals of 20 turkey fryers cooking 200 turkeys in the middle of the night (1:30 a.m.) for people experiencing homeless is a great photo & film opportunity. Also, the Kid Zone activities, rock climbing, bouncers, arts & crafts and interactive games.
About Union Rescue Mission
Union Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless. 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 our website urm.org
Alternatives to Tent Cities in this Emergency Situation
The news has been scary lately with so many people in trouble due to our economy. At ground zero here on Skid Row in Los Angeles the reality is even more incredible. Real unemployment in Los Angeles is at nearly 21% according to Jack Kaiser of the Los Angeles Economic Corporation. It is no wonder then that families coming to Union Rescue Mission are up over 340% since last year, and our meals are up 32% from 18 months ago.
47% of the families needing shelter throughout the city are homeless for the first time ever in their lives.
And it’s not just Los Angeles, it’s everywhere. I was contacted by a friend of Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento, a former NBA great, asking me what could be done about the tent cities springing up in Sacramento and around our country. Sacramento’s tent city has grown to 1200 people and there is talk of demolishing it. But that will not solve the problem.
I have come up with a plan, and though I can’t say that it originated with me, I believe that it is a tremendous alternative to letting folks sleep on the streets or in tents. First of all, the Governor should declare a state of emergency and ask that all armories be opened to house people as we do in the Winter Shelter months. Non-profits like Union Rescue Mission and our EIMAGO public benefits charity should be commissioned to operate them. We could provide emergency housing for 200 people each night, along with meals, a cot, a shower, and bathroom facilities for $1.2 million per armory a year.
Secondly, I received this note from a friend concerning a dream of hers. She told me, “One morning I awoke about 5:30 am to the words, ‘Hotels will be given to house the homeless, restaurants will be given to feed the hungry.’” I considered her dream—the empty hotels/motels in our area that are struggling to do business, and the nearly abandoned restaurants on the brink of closing. Then I thought of the tsunami of families coming our way seeking assistance and experiencing homelessness for the first time in their lives. What if we exchanged hotel/motel vouchers and restaurant vouchers for a small fee? Whatever a family could afford to pay, we put roofs over the heads of children and good food in their bellies while at the same time assisting the hotel and restaurant businesses in keeping their doors open and their employees working. We could provide case management to assist the families in pursuing permanent housing and employment. For those without a partnering family to turn to as they struggle through this ordeal, we could connect them with a church family to encourage them along the way. Some churches could possibly even step up and provide a gym for housing or an empty apartment that they could sponsor. Could we as a city, state, and country find it in our hearts to join in a bit of a bail out program for desperate families—along with some accountability and dignity to boot?
I want to encourage all in authority that this is an increasing emergency situation and needs an emergency response. We should not allow anyone, especially children to experience the devastating effects of homelessness.
Blessings, Andy B
Take a moment to watch this report from NBC Nightly News about Sacramento’s tent cities.
Homelessness goes Hollywood
Morley Safer of 60 Minutes reports on a unique urban fable that happens to be true.
Steve Lopez is a newspaper columnist for the Los Angeles Times; Nathaniel Ayers is a troubled man with a brilliant past.
They met by chance on the streets of downtown L.A. – an encounter that would change them both. The story of their friendship is a tale about madness, redemption, and the mysterious power of music.
Some of the footage for the story was shot on the rooftop of Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. The story has also been made into a feature film called The Soloist, which will be in theaters on April 24, 2009.
Dying Boy’s Wish Comes True
MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kitty Davis-Walker
Email: kwalker@urm.org
2500 MEALS SERVED TO HOMELESS IN HONOR OF
11 YEAR OLD BRENDEN FOSTER
(A Dying Boy’s Wish)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 AT UNION RESCUE MISSION
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (November 12, 2008)——On Friday, November 14, 2008 The Union Rescue Mission will serve 2,500 meals to its friends who are homeless in honor of 11 year old Brenden Foster, whose dying wish is to feed the homeless.
Each guest will also leave with a sack lunch bearing a special message of love from Brenden.
Union Rescue Mission’s CEO, Andy Bales said “Brenden! We are inspired by you. I have been working to help my friends who are homeless for 23 years, and I will for 23 more. Much love to you!”
Union Rescue Mission’s Daily Meal schedule:
* Breakfast Served – 7:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M.
* Lunch Served – 12:00 Noon to 2:30 P.M.
* Dinner Served – 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
For more information about Brenden Foster visit our website urm.org or call Kitty Davis-Walker @ (213) 673-4585.
About Union Rescue Mission
Union Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless. 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 our website www.unionrescuemission.org