Veronica Rocha of the Burbank Leader writes about the Homeless shelter that will be operated by Union Rescue Mission.
A winter shelter for the homeless will open Monday for the second consecutive year at the Burbank National Guard Armory, to provide shelter for up to 150 people during the year’s coldest months.
The armory will host the shelter through March 15, said Andy Bales, director of the Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission, which runs the program.
“We really think it’s important to get them out of the cold and rain,” he said.
URM, through our EIMAGO public benefit charity, supported by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, will open 4 Winter Shelters on Monday, Dec. 1, in Burbank, West LA, Culver City and downtown LA, with an additional 660 beds opening for our friends who are homeless.
These additional shelters and beds are a lifesaving step to get people out of the rain and cold from Dec. 1 through March 15. This is also an opportunity to connect people who are homeless with services that will encourage them to move out of homelessness as many folks did last winter, including Betty, an elderly lady who now resides in permanent supportive housing at URM’s Hope Gardens, and Rod who enrolled in URM’s year long program downtown.
“Despite tough economic times and because of the great need, URM is stepping out in faith to meet the growing need,” CEO Andy Bales stated. “We need the support of the local communities to make these winter shelters places of comfort and healing.
Please call us at 213-347-6300 or email us at abales@urm.org to get involved.
Fresh turkey with all the trimmings and delicious pumpkin pie were served to the homeless this past weekend by some of Los Angeles’ best local fighters: Israel Vazquez, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Alfonso Gomez, Paul Banke, Bobby Chacon, and Walter Sarnoi all came out to volunteer their time at the Union Rescue Mission’s annual Thanksgiving free meal giveaway for the poor and needy during Saturday’s three-hour street festival.
On Saturday, November 22, the Union Rescue Mission hosted a Whoville Thanksgiving celebration on Skid Row. An estimated 3,000 people came out to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast. Attendants included 2,500 guests from the homeless community, volunteers, URM staff, corporate and celebrity sponsors.
A BIG thanks goes to some of our corporate sponsors: Fox Entertainment, Dodgers, KJLH, Herbal Life, Clippers, City National Bank, HSBC, Nestle, Magic Johnson Foundation, and Disney.
Celebrity Sponsors include: Andre Ethier, Red Cloud, Jaynie Jackson, Jeremiah 22, and World Boxing Hall of Famers – Israel Vasquez, Alfonso Gomez, Bobby Chacon, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Walter Sarnoi, Paul Banke.
In order to feed the large crowd with a delicious feast of roast/deep fried turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, salad, and apple pie, URM prepared: 100 deep fried turkeys (16lb ea), 90 turkey roasts (8lb-11lb), 75 pans of vegetables, 74 pans of stuffing, 40 pans of cranberry sauce, 64 pans of sweet potatoes, 80 pans of mash potatoes, 4320 dinner rolls, 510 pies (4080 slices), and 65 gallons of gravy.
by monica on Monday, November 24th, 2008, Filed Under The Latest | 1 Comment
The little boy who inspired us with his dying wish to feed people who are homeless passed away this weekend. We were honored to carry out his wish by feeding so many on that Friday and sending all with a sack lunch with a love Brenden message. He knew of our love and our honoring his wish, and we hope in the future to invite his mom to come to URM for a banquet. Please keep his mom in your prayers. Thanks again for all of your work in honoring our Lord and friends like Brenden everyday as we serve our friends who are homeless. Blessings, Andy B.
Join the Union Rescue Mission as we continue to serve our homeless Friends for the holidays.
(November 24, 2008)—On Wednesday, November 26, the Union Rescue Mission will serve up 2500 meals (served daily) to our friends who are homeless. Long time donors, Dr. Leonard and Mrs. Lydia Cruz of Trinity Nursing Home Management will be on hand to volunteer and serve holiday meals to our guests and the Skid Row community. The Cruz’s have also inspired their employees to give by organizing a Penny Box program where employees can donate their loose change. Mrs. Cruz said “we are an example of how others can help the Union Recue Mission in its humanitarian endeavors”
Union Rescue Mission’s, CEO, Andy Bales said “We can’t cut back on serving because the rest of the world and our fellow human beings need us more than ever right now. The Cruz’s are an example of those who realize how important it is for us to work together and that there are many ways we can all make a difference”
For more information contact: Kitty Davis-Walker @ (213) 673-4585 or Liz Mooradian.
Union Rescue Mission’s Daily Meal schedule:
Breakfast Served – 7:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M.
Lunch Served – 12: Noon to 2:30 P.M.
Dinner Served – 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Media visuals: Visit www.urm.org for pictures and how you can help.
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 www.urm.org.
At the behest of the LAPD, this morning at 5 A.M. we went out as a URM team and alerted folks sleeping on the street that the LAPD right was right behind us carrying out maximum enforcement of a code that prohibits sleeping on the streets after before 9:00 P.M and after 6:00 A.M.We also were able to invite them to our Thanksgiving Celebration tomorrow.Everyone mentioned they were so thankful for the caring wake up call, the “Good morning” and “God bless you” greetings.We were very well received and I am sure that it made the LAPD’s challenging task much easier.Union Rescue Mission has supported and still supports the police and their successful efforts to reduce overdose deaths by nearly 50%, violent crime by 40%, and the number of people sleeping on the streets from 2000 to nearly 700.When I spoke at the LA Police Commission this last week, I shared my friend Irvin’s story:
“My name is Irvin Atwater and I would like to commend LAPD for putting officers on foot and bicycles in the downtown Skid Row area.The streets are safer now.Evidence of this can be seen in the different ethnic faces seen after dark downtown.This did not happen two years ago.People were afraid to walk the streets in the Skid Row area even in the day time, because police presence was limited.I would have never believed that downtown LA streets would be as drug free as they are today -not as many drugs, less reason for a lot of the criminal activity.I use to be on these streets and the only time I have ever had a LAPD Officer say anything to me was when I was in a place where I shouldn’t have been or I was breaking the law.I support more officers on the street and making personal contact with the people whom they protect and serve.
If it was not for the compassion of a LAPD Officer, Deon Joseph, when I was addicted to rock cocaine, I would not be here before you today writing this letter as a tax paying citizen who is now drug free for almost two years – the first time in nearly 20 years.
Officers downtown have an extremely difficult job and I believe their being in close contact with the public allows not only the public to see the officers as human beings who have a job (that is not always easy), but it allows the officers to build relationships in the community based on trust and respect.These are two of the greatest benefits of the Safer Cities Initiative.”
As I finished Irvin’s story before the commission, I was booed loudly by many activists in the room, but I received a very nice note of thanks from the Assistant Chief of Police, Sergio Diaz.
Irvin’s story and my time at the Commission were in my mind as I went out this morning at 5 A.M.Hopefully, awakening our friends who are homeless so that they can follow the law encourages them and helping the officers with upholding the law would be made a bit easier. This is just a temporary solution until the day when we have roofs over the heads of all people and we live up to Los Angeles’ name – the City of Angels.Andy B.
Dodger’s outfielder Andre Ethier will be coming to Union Rescue Mission on Saturday, November 22 to help serve Thanksgiving meals to the homeless.
Ethier will then visit the Union Rescue Mission this Saturday, November 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles. The Mission, located at 545 S. San Pedro St., will be a hosting “Thanksgiving in Whoville” event. Ethier will help serve Thanksgiving meals, hand out 1,000 blankets and sign autographs. This is Ethier’s second visit this year to Union Rescue mission. The outfielder kicked out his community initiative to help the homeless at Union Rescue mission in June.
Molly Hennessy-Fiske of the LA Times writes about the effect current laws have on the ability of Mental Health workers to effectively assist the mentally ill.
Alarmed by reports that Los Angeles County mental health staff — hobbled by a countywide shortage of beds for the mentally ill — are increasingly forwarding emergency calls to police, commissioners overseeing the department on Thursday asked that a plan to end the practice be presented by early next month.
Department of Mental Health workers have turned to law enforcement officials because hospitals are required by law to take emergency mental health patients transported by police. If a county mental health worker brings a person in for treatment, facilities are not compelled to accept them.
URM’s Andy Bales talks about the importance of utilizing Mental Health professionals in dealing with patients on skid row.
Advocates for the mentally ill and the homeless say that there are not enough hybrid teams to go around and that police who respond alone can aggravate emergencies.
“Folks who are trained to deal with people who are having mental health issues have the experience to calm things down,” said the Rev. Andrew Bales, chief executive ofUnion Rescue Mission on skid row. “Somebody who’s distressed is probably going to panic when they see the police. I’ve been in that situation where I’ve been trying to help someone and they became upset when the police arrived.”
Andy Bales, the CEO of Union Rescue Mission, wrote an article in the LA Daily News about the current financial difficulties and the effect it has on organizations like URM.
We here at the United Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles are facing extremely difficult times. More folks, especially families, are coming to us in need at this time. We’ve added another floor to house families devastated by the economic downturn, at a time when giving is way down.
We can’t cut back on programs or services because the rest of the world and our fellow human beings need us more than ever.
