Archive for October, 2008
by monica on Thursday, October 30th, 2008, Filed Under General, The Latest | View Comments
“The Union Rescue Mission has a long history of serving the underprivileged and we are delighted to be lending support to their cause.” – Philip Gay, President and CEO of Daily Grill
Daily Grill is helping kick off the holiday season by introducing three-course turkey dinners with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Union Rescue Mission, the nation’s largest shelter of its kind serving the poor and homeless.
From October 27 through the end of November, Daily Grill’s Southern California locations will offer a three-course turkey dinner featuring a choice of butternut squash soup or mixed green salad; roasted turkey served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, fresh garden vegetables and cranberry sauce; and harvest spice bread pudding for $21.95 per person. Participating locations include Brentwood, Burbank, downtown Los Angeles, El Segundo, Irvine, Long Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Monica, Studio City and Universal Studios’ CityWalk.
“As we head into the holiday season facing uncertain economic times, it is important that we not lose sight that there are others facing even greater hardships and they are in need of our support,” said Daily Grill’s President and CEO Philip Gay. “The Union Rescue Mission has a long history of serving the underprivileged and we are delighted to be lending support to their cause.”
Daily Grill is organizing a special luncheon for 200 Union Rescue Mission clients on Friday, November 7, at which time they will be treated to a special pre-Thanksgiving feast.
Please help support URM by dining at The Daily Grill. For locations, go to: www.dailygrill.com
by mindy on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
This past Sunday was my birthday – my 50th birthday! I never thought I would make it to 40! In fact, I almost did not.
I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 36 years and had a heart attack at 37 and survived. Not only did I make it to 40, but now I am 50 and feeling pretty strong, walking and working out regularly, even with a permanently broken foot in 5 places. In a matter of 6 weeks, I became a Grandpa and turned 50. I feel a bit, actually, like I have finally arrived!
For my birthday, I went out to Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center and climbed to the top of one of the surrounding hills to look at the 30,000 acres burned by a wildfire on Sunday, Oct. 12th. The area around Hope Gardens was completely burned and destroyed. Fire had burned to the western edge of Hope Gardens. Fire had burned the area to the eastern edge, even burned all around our water tank. Our southern most wooden bridge and our northern most bridge burnt up, but God’s hand, good planning, and the Herculean efforts of our area fire departments miraculously saved Hope Gardens. Our alert staff, security and the Sheriff evacuated everyone safely that Sunday and all were taken care of by our loving staff at Union Rescue Mission downtown.
While at Hope Gardens on Sunday, I visited our Senior Ladies living in permanent supportive housing at Sequoia Lodge. I thanked the Lord that their lives had been saved from the fire and they did not find themselves homeless once again. I discovered that the fire had burned right up to within 5 feet of the Sequoia Lodge building. Thank you, Lord!
I also said “Hi” to our moms and children living in transitional housing at Hope Gardens and watched the children play. Again, I was so thankful that these precious little ones did not have to face homelessness again- thanks to God’s goodness and grace and the community’s efforts to provide and protect. I heard last night that my little 5 year-old buddy, Guy, dreadlocks and all (I call him the honorary Mayor of Hope Gardens), was praying with the group who returned to Hope Gardens and said, “Thank you, God, for not burning the trees!” Then he and the group shouted, “Praise be to God!” I echo that sentiment.
We at URM are facing extremely difficult financial times. More folks, especially families, are coming to us in need at this time. We’ve even added another floor to house families devastated by the economic downturn, at a time when giving is way down, but the Lord has orchestrated the sale of one of our adjacent properties right on time. It will provide some much needed funds that will help carry URM and Hope Gardens for a time while, hopefully, the economy gets a chance to recover and we gear up to raise sufficient funds to operate both facilities. The timing could not have been better or closer!
Thank you, Lord. You are too good to me. You are too good to URM. I am an extremely thankful man. Blessings, Rev. Andy B.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving season?
by monica on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008, Filed Under General, The Latest | View Comments
Union Rescue Mission, in partnership with Giving Children Hope (www.gchope.org) and La Sierra University Church, is sending a shipment of medical supplies and equipment to the Southern Luzon Mission in Legaspi, Philippines.
The clinic building was completed in 2007, and Giving Children Hope is helping complete it by supplying the medical equipment that is needed. The clinic plans to help the surrounding population of 91,000 with dental needs and other various medical needs.
In the city of Legaspi, health care is available but largely inaccessible to the poor population. The clinic plans to focus on care but with much emphasis on prevention.
by Dan on Monday, October 27th, 2008, Filed Under Advocacy, In The News, The Latest | View Comments
Troy Anderson interviews Andy Bales and some friends of ours at Union Rescue Mission regarding the increase in middle-class professionals who are struggling with homelessness.
Colin never thought he’d wind up on Skid Row.
As a middle-class father and business owner, he had achieved the American dream. But that all came crashing down recently when his coffee-bean importing business went under and the home he was renting in El Segundo went into foreclosure.
With nowhere else to turn, the Westmont College graduate sought shelter for his family at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles.
Andy Bales, president of the Union Rescue Mission, said he’s also seeing professionals and other middle-class people coming into the mission who are experiencing homelessness for the first time, including former mission donors.
Click here to read the article.
by alex on Saturday, October 25th, 2008, Filed Under Advocacy, In The News, The Latest | View Comments
Richard Guzman writes about the drop in donations to organizations working on Skid Row.
Andy Bales has seen a lot of hard times during his years as CEO of the Union Rescue Mission. But now, the organization that for more than a century has helped those down on their luck is in need of desperate help of its own.
“We’re down about 25% over our normal donations, so we’re barely hanging in there,” Bales said. “I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Click here to read the full article.
by monica on Friday, October 24th, 2008, Filed Under General, In The News, The Latest | View Comments
Read the article in The Tidings about the Fire that spares Hope Gardens (http://www.the-tidings.com/2008/102408/hopegardens.htm).
Fire spares Hopes Gardens Family Center
By R. W. Dellinger
text only version
For more than two years, the Union Rescue Mission battled some residents of Kagel Canyon over moving homeless families and elderly women from L.A.’s skid row to Hope Gardens Family Center, a 78-acre retreat on the fringe of the Angeles National Forest in Sylmar. But earlier this month as the Marek Fire was driven by gusty winds from Little Tujunga Canyon to heavily-forested Kagel and Lopez canyons, mission officials and residents maintain a close watch on each other.
“I kept in touch with our Kagel Canyon neighbors during the fire,” reported The Rev. Andy Bales, president of the Union Rescue Mission. “And we kept each other posted about what was happening and kept track of each other. So that was a nice change from the battle that we had before our conditional use permit was finally approved in May 2007.”
Residents of the transitional housing facility, which was previously the Foresters Haven retirement home, were evacuated about 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, as the brush fire loomed over Lopez Canyon Road at the northeast edge of the San Fernando Valley. Some 27 mothers with 60 kids along with 23 senior women were taken downtown to the Union Rescue Mission. The homeless families and elderly ladies were allowed to return to Hope Gardens Oct. 16 when power was restored to the region.
No buildings were damaged, but because of the power outage $68,000 worth of food was destroyed. “That’s a huge blow for us, especially at this time of year,” the Rev. Bales said. “It’s going to be really challenging for us. But we’re thankful for the Herculean efforts of the fire fighters who saved Hope Gardens and many of our neighbors.
“But we’re very sad about neighbors who were so supportive from the Sky Terrace Mobile Home Park, some of whom lost their homes. They were really supportive when we had our struggle to move out there.”
Editor’s note: Donations to the Union Rescue Mission can be made directly to the mission’s website (urm.org) or by calling (213) 347-6300.
