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The Mission Newsletter – November 2013

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“Christmas used to mean presents, cookies, and Santa Claus,” says 11-year-old Kira. “But now I know it’s not about toys. It’s about the birth of Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God and He’s my savior. And I know He loves me no matter what.”

Kira is just one of nearly 80 children who live with their moms at Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center, a 77-acre sanctuary that offers transitional housing to families experiencing homelessness like Kira’s.

“She’s a good kid,” says Kira’s mother, Tifani. “She’s a firecracker, with a bit of a temper, but she says what she wants to say and she means it. I’m proud of her. She graduated last spring from 5th grade, and she was awarded the school’s Presidential Certificate for her good behavior and academic achievement.”

Kira came to Hope Gardens, along with her mother and two sisters, on Easter Sunday, 2012, after they escaped a dangerous situation where they were living.

Unfortunately, Tifani was unemployed and had no place else to take her children, until she learned about Hope Gardens.

“I like Hope Gardens,” Kira says. “The people here take us to the park and the swimming pool. Sometimes we have barbecues. I’ve even seen three families of deer since we’ve been here!”

While summers are Kira’s favorite season, she also loves Christmas. “Last Christmas was really fun here,” she recalls. “We had a party and we got to make cookies and gingerbread houses, and we even got to sing karaoke! My favorite Christmas song is ‘Happy Birthday, Jesus.’”

Then she starts singing . . . “Happy birthday, Jesus, it’s that time of year. All the lights on the trees say Christmas time is near. Another year’s behind us, you helped us make it through. So, happy birthday, Jesus, this song is just for you.”

            “Over the years, I’ve pretty much gotten everything I wanted for Christmas, she says. “But I don’t want any presents this year. Ho

pe Gardens is helping my mom start her own business so we can move into a new house. That’s my Christmas wish.”

 

No Better Christmas Present

by Tifani

All my life, I’ve loved singing Joy to the World at Christmas. How can anyone sing

that carol and not feel happy? It always reminds me that God and my kids are my true joy.

But my life hasn’t always been filled with joy. I got married when I was 21 and we had three beautiful daughters, including Kira, whose story is in this newsletter. But despite our kids, we spent 13 rocky years fighting and quarreling until I couldn’t take it anymore.

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After we divorced, the girls and I struggled financially. I finally got a good job working as a bus driver. But then in the span of a couple years, my mother and father died, then two of my uncles and a nephew passed away, and I fell into a depression. I found it hard to keep working.

Life was so difficult for me — but it was especially hard at Christmas. Instead of feeling joy, I just cried.

Then we started having problems with our apartment manager, who was breaking into our home and was making my daughters feel afraid. The police wouldn’t do anything about the manager, so I had to leave with my kids. But I didn’t have the money to move into another apartment, and we had no place else to go.

Thankfully, when I called emergency services, they referred us to Union Rescue Mission and their Hope Gardens Family Center.

We’ve been here since April 2012. They say every gray cloud has a silver lining, and Hope Gardens has been that for me. Not only have they provided me and my kids with meals and shelter, they’ve given me the chance to go back to school. And today I’m in the process of starting my own private bus business.

This Christmas, Joy to the World means something special again. I may be down, but I’m not out. I have my kids, we’re safe, and we have a future. I may not always feel it, but joy is a real possibility again. I know it. I feel it. And there’s no better Christmas present than that.

 

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It’s hard to imagine what happens to a child when they experience homelessness. Devastated and embarrassed, they often emotionally withdraw. And some kids will never be able to let go of that pain.

No matter what time of year, homelessness is painful for children. But Christmas is especially difficult. They have no home, no tree, and no gifts. There’s no excitement or anticipation of Santa Claus coming down the chimney. It’s heartbreaking to witness that kind of sadness in kids at Christmas.

That’s why we work so hard to bring the kids at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens a little joy and hope this time of year. Our Christmas Store ensures parents have gifts for their kids. We throw Christmas parties, we let the kids decorate trees throughout the building, we take them out to look at Christmas lights, and, of course, we tell them all about Jesus and His own experience being homeless. Children take great comfort in knowing that Jesus understands what they’re going through.

As we enter Advent and the Christmas season, please remember all the special kids experiencing homelessness today who are made in His image. After all, when you care for these precious children, you care for Jesus Himself.

Blessings,

AndysSig

Taking Steps Toward Your Dreams

 

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“Hey, this guy is on Facebook!”
“That’s his job, Deshay”

And that’s how my first experience at the teen LifeSkills class began. I had tried to blend into the background, to be an invisible observer, but that just wasn’t an option. On Monday nights, everyone participates—everyone is part of the group.

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These Life Skills Classes have been going on for almost three years—this particular one was class #126. Christopher Kai (an entrepreneur among many other things) is the lead volunteer, and has devoted every Monday night (sans holidays) to enrich the lives of the teens at the Mission. Each lesson encourages, inspires, and teaches the students how to work toward their dreams. He also has an awesome and diverse group of volunteer mentors: a former marine, an preschool teacher, a wealth manager, a model/photographer, and a ballerina.

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From the moment the door opened up you could feel the excitement emanating from the teens. As they entered the room, their faces would light up—one right after the next. You could definitely tell this class was one of the highlights of their week, a place of retreat from the monotony of Mission life. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Chris approach all of the first timers and make an effort to memorize all of their names. Impressive indeed.

Today’s meeting revolved around the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”.

“We are each made exactly 99.6% the same,” Chris explained as he pointed to individuals in the group. He continued on how MLK fought for civil rights and how it’s significance in history affected not only those in America, but to all people worldwide.

We were then broken up into three groups in a little exercise to the roof.

Each group was given a mentor and instructions on how to tackle the flights of stairs before us. The first group would ascend to the top by skipping as many steps as possible, the second would skip every other step, and finally the third would take every step.

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When all of us finally reached the rooftop we regrouped under the cityscape of downtown LA. The exercise was designed to show that whether we are skipping steps or taking our time with each individual stair, we are all on our individual journey. All we needed to focus on is our dreams and the goals we needed to set to get there.

If anyone is interested in volunteering, please visit: www.fb.com/mondaysatthemission or email Christopher Kai directly at Chris@christopherkai.com

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It’s Time for Fun in the Sun!

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Summer.

Water squirters, hoses, slip-n-slides, community pools. Freedom.

Growing up, summer was the time school books were thrown aside as my neighborhood went out in force to wreck liquid mayhem. Clothes were drenched, lawns unintentionally watered, friendships/alliances were solidified on the Janna St. battlefield. Though memories of the other aspects of my childhood have faded over time, the ones I’ve had of summer are vibrant.

That’s why I was so excited for Union Rescue Mission’s annual Splash Zone event. Other than the fact that it takes place on our roof.

 

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You could tangibly feel the anticipation build up in the kids. Their eyes quickly darted back and forth as our staff was laying down the ground rules for the event. I don’t think anyone was really listening; everyone’s focus was on the huge water slides and the nearing fun to be had. I know I wasn’t hearing a thing.

The kids got more and more excited; each declaring his or her near-future aquatic heroics as they were handed their water squirters. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Perfect LA weather.

And then the beautiful pandemonium began.

No one was safe. Dodging the streams of water was futile, and many of the adults jumped right in. For much of the day it felt like it was raining; a downpour of joy.

Children who know far too well the pains of homelessness were soaked completely through; with water, laughter, and a whole lot of love.

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We would like to thank Calvary Chapel of Pacific Palisades for sponsoring this event. Even more, they came out to volunteer and spend time interacting and playing with the kids. Without their help we wouldn’t be able to give these children the summer many of us were lucky enough to experience.

 

The Mission Newsletter – July 2013

Brian

All my life, I felt alone, isolated, like I never really fit anywhere. Even in my own family. Instead of connecting with friends, I retreated into a world of art and fantasy. From the age of 3 or 4, I would spend hours, or even days, drawing characters, making up stories, living in a world that existed only in my head and in my art.

My parents didn’t understand and tried many different ways to change me. So as a teenager, I rebelled — dabbling with LSD, mescaline, mushrooms, whatever I could get my hands on. Hallucinogens brought my art to life. And I loved it. Before long, I was eating 50 to 100 hits a day.

Then I found crystal meth. And that was it. Meth enabled me to focus on my art at a whole new level. Not only that, I could draw for three days straight, until my body would collapse from exhaustion. But I craved it.

Somehow, in all that insanity, I got married in my early 20s. My wife even gave birth to two sons. But both were born with serious health problems. My first son was born with DiGeorge Syndrome, kind of a cross between autism and Down Syndrome. My second son was born with an incurable heart condition and I had to make the heart-breaking decision to take him off life support. When he died, so did my marriage.

The Loneliness of Homelessness

After that, everything fell apart. My wife fell into prostitution and heroin addiction. My surviving son ended up with my wife’s aunt. And I ended up living on the streets for the next seven years, isolated and alone, disconnected from everyone but my drug dealers.

But as I grew lonelier and more exhausted, I wanted to change. That’s when I came to Union Rescue Mission. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but when I walked inside the building, the compassion and love I felt brought me to tears. I felt known, like everyone here could see me — the real me. I wasn’t alone anymore. And something about that made me want to be the best man I could be.

The Real Me

I gave my life to Jesus that first day and I have never craved drugs since. I took advantage of every service the Mission offered, from health and dental care, to counseling and spiritual care. They met every need I had. And I have never felt so alive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’ve rebuilt relationships with my family, and even my son. And, I returned to school, and I’m now working full-time as a graphic artist.

I never knew this kind of life was possible, and I never would have experienced it apart from Union Rescue Mission. Because the people here were willing to show me compassion and love me, I am a real person now. URM didn’t give me my life back. The truth is, I never had a life. What I can say is, thanks to URM, I now have a life.

 

13URM07NL URM July 13 NL_Pkg.inddMen and women trapped in homelessness often have significant barriers to overcome before they can return to a productive life. Agencies like Union Rescue Mission offer structured, long-term recovery programs that have helped thousands of individuals and families address and overcome their obstacles and return to the community as productive citizens.

To learn more about our 10-Step plan please click here

 

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Notes from Andy

Healing the Past — Building for the Future

Brian, who tells his story in this issue of The Mission, is one of those guys who’s so sharp and “with it,” it’s hard to imagine why he lived the life he did. But in many ways, he reminds me of my son Isaac.

Like Brian, Isaac struggled through adolescence. It wasn’t easy for him to be my son, and for many years he walked a different path than I would have. Honestly, I spent those years parenting from my knees — praying. But like Brian, Isaac found his way. And today, Brian and Isaac are both fine young men.

Transforming lives like Brian’s is what Union Rescue Mission is all about. We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ, offering them hope and healing, and helping them find their way home. We help them heal the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds that led them here in the first place, through counseling, legal aid, medical and dental care, and spiritual nurturing. But then we also offer them building blocks, like education and job training, to help them construct brand new lives.

Body. Mind. Soul. Spirit. It’s what our Mission is all about. But it’s not just our Mission. It’s yours, too. You are the Mission. And nothing happens here apart from you. Thank you.

Blessings,

andysig

Rev. Andy Bales

Congratulations To Our Graduates!

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Yesterday, Union Rescue Mission had the honor of recognizing 14 brave men who graduated from our  Christian Life Discipleship Program (CLDP). CLDP is an intensive year long program that affects the entire life – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and social. Each of these men have had to face personal demons, mend broken relationships, and most of all—discover their true self as created in the image of God.

Graduates of the CLDP complete:

  • 156 Hours of Bible/recovery classes
  • 50 hours of Biblical 12 steps
  • 200 hours of Physical Fitness
  • 49 weeks of Sunday church attendance
  • 104 hours of devotions in URM Family devotions
  • 200 hours of participation in the Bank of America Learning Center
  • 1200 hours of work therapy in one of URM’s departments
  • 30 hours of individual counseling with a URM chaplain

Needless to say, we are very proud of each and every one of these men, and are excited to see how their future in Christ unfolds.

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We also want to thank Keynote speaker, Dr. Paul Flores, from Church of the Redeemer for his rousing words on how this world is not our home. And for our musical guest, Lavonne Seetal, wife of our very own Reverend Walter Seetal, for sharing her stirring musical talent.

As all you courageous graduates move forward in your recovery, be reminded of what your fellow-graduate, Tramon, said in his speech,

“When the devil reminds you of your past, remind the devil of his future”

 

Heroes for Hope Luncheon 2013

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Last Wednesday was amazing! 

2013’s Heroes for Hope Fundraising Luncheon at the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels was a resounding success! We hold this event annually to celebrate those who sow into the Union Rescue Mission, whether it is their time, their talents, or their treasure. We especially want to highlight the contributions of Richard Rozman and the members of Pacific Coast Church, both who received our Heroes for Hope award for this year.

Heroes for Hope

Richard Rozman has been a faithful donor, friend and volunteer of Union Rescue Mission for over 10 years. He literally walks the walk; as he has been serving in our kitchen, providing gifts to our guests during Christmas-time, sponsoring numerous events, and organizing volunteers for community service projects.

After hearing his personal story, it really is simple to pin-point why he is so passionate about those experiencing homelessness. His father was homeless during the Great Depression and when he later owned his own service station, he would employ local men who were down on their luck. Richard Rozman was raised with that same spirit of compassion and it now flows out of his lifestyle of giving.

Rozman

The Pacific Coast Church congregation and URM have recently begun a relationship that we hope will continue many years down the line. At the Luncheon, Pastor Dan explained his first experience at URM was when he got the chance to preach at our chapels while still attending Bible college. He had always wanted to reconnect with the mission, and the union between his church and the Union Rescue Mission took life when the Iron Man Conference was launched last October.

The event made such an impact on both our guests and members of PCC, it was only natural that our partnership would continue to grow and flourish.  To date, there are more than 30 men from Pacific Coast Church who have joined the mentor program and are working alongside our Chaplains to help facilitate the life transformation in the lives of the mission’s guests.

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The Union Rescue Mission is truly honored to serve alongside both Richard Rozman, the members of the Pacific Coast Church and many more.

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Walmart Grant Provides 27,000 Meals!

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Our gracious friends at the Walmart Foundation have decided to donate $50,000 to URM’s Hunger Relief Program! This generous gift will be able to provide a total of 27,175 meals.

This will cover 3 meals a day served to our 800 guests for a total of 13 days!

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Their donation also helps secure our commitment to our guest’s health and wellness. The funds go into our education and life skills classes, the women and children’s programs, and the development of a rooftop/kitchen garden to provide fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables downtown.

URM is so blessed when organizations like the Walmart Foundation step up to the task to help sustain our mission to combat hunger and homelessness on Skid Row.

The Mission Newsletter – January 2013

I Prayed that God Would Kill Me

I know what homelessness is like. I lived on the streets for 10 years. Heat . . . cold . . . rain . . . it’s hard. But the worst part? Everyone looks at you with disgust, even though they don’t understand. They all had family and friends. I had no one. One time, even my own brother drove past me on the street. He just shook his head and kept driving.

It’s hard to blame them. I was a meth addict. And meth drove me all the way to the streets. Thanks to my addiction, I ended up sleeping in parks, schools, abandoned buildings, and sometimes I’d burn out so bad I’d just collapse on a sidewalk. I lived in constant fear of being robbed, mugged, or murdered.

Winter was the worst, especially when it rained. Some nights it got so cold and damp I thought I’d freeze to death. Some guys did. They’d freeze in the night and never wake up. Nights like that, I had to find some way to start a fire. Or just keep walking. I wanted to die. In fact, I often prayed that God would kill me. But He never did.

In October 2011, I finally got tired of it all and came to Union Rescue Mission. It’s the smartest thing I ever did, because that’s when I started reading the Bible. Through counseling and studying God’s Word, I heard God knocking at my heart and I opened it to Him. And today my life is completely changed.

I’ve learned that God gives everyone a gift. Mine is encouragement. So now I plan on going to college to be a drug counselor. There was a time I prayed to die. Now I pray to live to see how God will use me. I want to save the lives of guys like me.

Winter Weather

Tonight, more than 57,000 people experiencing homelessness will struggle to survive the Los Angeles cold. Without shelter, they suffer from cold-related illnesses, vulnerability to predators and crime, and even death.

Your generous gift provides precious souls with nourishing meals, a warm bed, and life-transforming programs. Thank you for helping them get out of the cold this winter.

It’s a hard world for men and women experiencing homelessness. Last summer, we found a man lying in a pile of garbage across the street — he’d been dead for days.

During the wet, cold, winter months, an average of one man or woman dies on these streets every day.

This winter, we’re offering 120 extra beds every night the temperature drops below 40 degrees or whenever it rains. It may not seem like much, but it means a lot to the man or woman who gets a bed — and it just might save their life. Thank you for caring.

Blessings,

Rev. Andy Bales, CEO

 

Keep Hope Alive

Dear Friends,

It’s been two years since we alerted you and our many contributors that Hope Gardens Family Center was in jeopardy of closing. In response to our plea, more than 5000 friends responded with financial gifts to keep it open and thriving. It didn’t matter what size the gift was, what made the difference was the number of caring people who responded generously. We raised $3.8 Million in 37 days and kept Hope alive. Thank you!

We are in a similar position today.  We need to receive an outpouring of generous gifts from as many of our faithful friends as possible.  Here’s why:

  • We plan on moving 12 more moms and their children to the safety of Hope Gardens, bringing Hope Gardens to capacity.
  • We plan on strengthening our downtown recovery program for women, making it on par with our excellent men’s recovery program.
  • We plan on strengthening our job readiness program to the point where we can place our program graduates into careers that will absolutely end their homelessness.
  • We plan on bringing some much needed relief and encouragement to our hard working staff.

The first step towards accomplishing all this and much more, is to finish this fiscal year strong by hitting our budgeted income goal.  To ensure our success, we need to raise $4.8 Million between now and June 30th.  If we do not, our plans for the coming year will be put on hold. I can’t begin to express how devastating it would be to our team and to me personally if we do not raise these funds by June 30th.

For the last 3 years our dedicated staff has worked hard, sacrificed, and welcomed our guests with love.  They’ve taken two 5% pay cuts, accepted increased work loads and had their wages frozen.  And as disappointing as it would be to postpone the plans we have to improve our programs, what’s even more troubling to me, actually, heart-wrenching, is the thought that we will not be able to carryout our plans to restore a small portion of the benefits our dedicated team has given up for the sake of those we serve.

We simply must hit our budget goal for FY2012 by June 30th!

There are some who’d like to see Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens fade into the sunset and disappear. They don’t believe in recovery or life transformation.  However, the 2700 guests who count on us each day for a good meal, and our 700 resident guests who are diligently involved in recovering their lives in our transformation programs believe strongly in the life saving work of Union Rescue Mission.  I know that you do as well.  Thank you!

I too believe strongly in the work of Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens.  I’ve poured my life into it! As you know, I’ve stayed on, battling kidney failure, in hopes of helping URM & Hope Gardens move into the future in a strong position. It would be tough on me to not see us succeed.

As you consider giving an extra gift at this time,  please consider the powerful life-transforming work of Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens, remember our miracle from 2 years ago that kept Hope Gardens going strong in the midst of the Great Recession, and give what you can to help URM and Hope Gardens move into 2012-2013 with great strength.

The size of the gift you send is not as important as simply responding.  Your generous gift, joined with others will Keep Hope Alive in the hearts of our dedicated staff and make a huge impact in the lives of our precious guests.

Your co-worker in Christ,

Andy Bales

Ps. Your generous giving makes life transformation possible for the men, women and precious children living at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center.  Thank you!

To make your gift on-line go to urm.org/KeepHopeAlive

Victory In The Midst Of Challenge

Dear Friends,

Earlier this month we began what will be a year long celebration of Union Rescue Mission’s 120th birthday!  You’ll hear more about our plans in the coming months but as 2011 comes to end, I thought you would appreciate this quote from our history library:

“At a time when bread was only a nickel a loaf, thousands of men, women and children went without. Union Rescue Mission was there for them. In 1910 we served 5,693 meals and helped 875 men find jobs”.

Some might read this and be discouraged.  After all, bread costs a lot more than a nickel and men, women and children are still going without.  But for me, this passage from our history is encouraging reminder of God’s affirmation of our work and His love for people experiencing homelessness.  He has faithfully sustained this ministry for 120 years through wonderful people like you.  I’m humbled and blessed to work alongside you.

Our work here is far from complete.  According to the latest counts, the number of precious people living on Skid Row has doubled since last year.   By years end, URM will have served over 1 million meals.  Thankfully, we have 120 years of victory in the midst of challenge under our belt. We will continue to embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ – giving hope and healing for a changed life – helping them find their way home.

Union Rescue Mission needs to raise $3.5 million by the end of the year to meet the needs of the men, women and children we currently serve; move forward with the expansion of our Women’s Life Transformation Program; and implement a robust Job Training, Job Development and Job Placement Program!

As you consider your final year-end contribution to Union Rescue Mission, I have some exciting news to share with you.  One of our faithful, generous friends has offered to match every gift we receive between now and December 31st up to $200,000.  This means any amount you share will go twice as far. Thank you in advance for giving generously.

May God bless you!

Rev. Andy Bales