Middle-class professionals, young families, first-time homeless — a tidal wave of hurting people are seeking our help on Skid Row. Your generous donations give them hope.
They’ve been called “throwaway people” — single male addicts, prostitutes, people wrestling with mental illness on the streets of Skid Row. Even in good times, Los Angeles County has more people who are homeless than any other region in the country, making the City of Angels the homeless capital of the nation.
But today, with the unemployment rate at nearly 10% — and expected to climb even higher — the Union Rescue Mission is faced with a growing human tsunami of unexpected people seeking shelter: educated, middle-class professionals who have lost their jobs, working poor victimized by the foreclosure and unemployment crises, and young families who can’t make ends meet in our current economy.
Last year at this time, the URM housed 15 families. Today, we are helping 75 families with vouchers to stay temporarily in hotels, and we are currently housing 57 more families, including 120 children, in our shelter.
Los Angeles County has more people who are homeless than any other region in the country, making the City of Angels the homeless capital of the nation.
URM’s entire 5th floor is filled with two-parent families and single dads with children. And now we’re even using our chapel to house families.
Economists say it’s only going to get worse. Homelessness tends to lag behind the economy, and the number of first-time homeless will soon rise as those who have managed to get by with temporary help from family and friends begin exhausting those resources.
No one deserves to be “thrown away.” Click here to read about some of the people seeking help at Union Rescue Mission in these dark, economic times.
No one deserves to be “thrown away.” Here are a few of the people seeking help at Union Rescue Mission in these dark, economic times.
“I Can’t Do This On My Own”
Victoria, Nathaniel, and their five children — Ameena, Idris, Esah, Eshaizaire, Ariyona — are one of 57 families living on Skid Row at Union Rescue Mission. Victoria is a former administrative assistant and military veteran, with a two-year college degree and plans to further her education towards a nursing career. But when she and her husband both lost their jobs, they moved with their five children to Union Rescue Mission. Today, Victoria’s family is one of 57 families living on Skid Row at Union Rescue Mission. >
“What’s happened to us is serious. It seems like we’ve travelled on a rough road, with a lot of ups and downs. But I still have hope and ambition. I am a very determined person. I want to do more with my life so I can be an example for my children. In some ways, I think everything that’s happened to us is good for them. Maybe they’ll appreciate life a little better. When they reach the top they’ll always remember what life is like on the bottom. They’ll have that balance. ”
“I’ve learned that you have to go with the current and not let it drown you. Just flow with it. Don’t give up. I can’t do this on my own, so I let God guide us and I ask him to protect us.”
“I Have A Different Purpose Now”
George was a highly successful photographer who is now seeking a new direction for his life. George was one of the most successful commercial photographers in Los Angeles. His clients included Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, Essence magazine, New Beauty magazine, FM Entertainment, and Touchstone Home Video — even the Union Rescue Mission. But in 2008, George’s career ground to a halt, his finances dried up, and he found himself seeking help at Union Rescue Mission.
“I loved photography. It was my life, I got to travel all over the world, and I experienced the best of what life has to offer — and I loved it. So when I first walked through the doors of Union Rescue Mission, I got angry and I started asking God, “Why?” I never had a drug or alcohol problem. But since I’ve come here, God has helped me understand that life is really about helping somebody else rather than yourself.
“Union Rescue Mission is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I have a different purpose now. I want to reach out and touch people’s lives. I want to help people who are less fortunate than myself. I want to give hope to people and help them become who God created them to be.”
“I’m Not Ready to Give Up Yet”
Even with a master’s degree in criminal justice, Clara is unable to find employment.
After earning a master’s degree in criminal justice and raising her three children, Clara escaped the cold weather of Indiana and moved to California in 2007. She planned to live with a cousin and search for a job in social work or law enforcement. But when her housing arrangement fell through, Clara found herself broke and homeless. She has lived at Union Rescue Mission since November 2007 and is unable to find work.
“When I first came to Skid Row, it was a shock. I’ve never been homeless before and I never imagined I’d end up in a shelter. I’m not a weak person, but I cry a lot now. I’m not ready to give up yet, and I’m going to keep fighting, but with the economy the way it is, it’s really hard.
“The Union Rescue Mission gives me hope. I’m learning that if you really want something, you can get it. It’s just a matter of having a plan. Sometimes I lose faith, but I feel in my heart I’ll eventually get where I need to. I believe that I’m actually going to win. I may not get a great big job and a corporate office, but I know I’m going to get something. And I’m satisfied with that.”
“I Ain’t Nobody’s Throwaway”
William, a former preacher, is 80 years old and homeless for the first time in his life. At 80 years of age, William is the oldest person ever to enter the Christian Life Discipleship program at Union Rescue Mission. William worked his whole life, including 47 years as a preacher in the Church of God in Christ, until age made it difficult to find employment. Last December, William ran out of money and ended up sleeping in a downtown bus station before coming to Union Rescue Mission.
“God always blessed me real good. That’s why I look like I do. So I’m not used to being homeless. That was a shocker! It’s a bad feeling being homeless.”
“Basically I’m an independent type of fellow. My folks taught me to work and to take care of myself. I don’t believe in handouts. It grieves my spirit to have handouts.
“I can still work, and I’d like to work, but I don’t think anyone will hire me at 80 years old! I was a preacher for 47 years. I ain’t nobody’s throwaway.”
When Union Rescue Mission saw this economic downturn happening before our eyes, we made an unusual choice. We decided to not only stay on course welcoming those struggling in poverty with the love of Christ, but in order to live up to our history during the Great Depression, we stepped it up a notch to meet the growing need. We converted our 5th floor, previously saved for VIP’s and volunteer groups (and me if I ever needed to spend the night), into housing for two-parent families and single Dads with children, two groups we had not often seen coming to the Mission previously. Since making that choice, we’ve seen some incredible things. Our meals have gone up nearly 40%, as we served 3,450 in one day alone last week. Last night 929 souls found shelter under our roof. Dozens of families have arrived on our 5th Floor, Project Restart as we call it, and a number of families have been placed in transitional and permanent housing thanks to our efforts and partners working with us. As of last night, 15 families with 39 children, a total of 61 people, occupy this 5th floor space that was largely under utilized in the past.
This includes one very special family awaiting their first baby. A co-worker came to my office on Monday and told me that we had a couple who had lost their housing and were seeking shelter, but all of our rooms were full. Not only were all of our rooms full, but even our tent-like structures, EDARs, were in use. My co-worker also let me know that the husband is working and the expectant mom is 9 months pregnant, due any day. We did what we always do. We searched for a place to put this precious family. We found an unused, cleaned up EDAR unit, and placed it in our 5th Floor Conference room. The expectant couple was thrilled to lay their heads down in a safe place and get some much needed rest.
I am sure that this young couple felt deserted, abandoned, and alone in the world when they came to our doors. Even as they entered I am sure they felt some fear and trepidation, but as they entered, because of the commitment and courage of our Board of Directors and staff, they were embraced with the love of Christ. Today, the young husband is figuring out ways to have his employer bless the other families with food donations and anxiously asking about a parenting class he can attend so that he can be a good father to his first born. Pray for this little one. She is very special. She is the reason we stepped up in a time of need.
For this year’s National Volunteer Week, April 19th-25th, the Union Rescue Mission would like acknowledge two special volunteers.
Pat Romeri (left) and Joyce Patton (right) are regular faces at URM. They each come in without fail on a weekly basis to serve lunch to the guests and residents at the Mission. Pat joined the URM team 2 years ago. Joyce joined the team 1 year ago. Both women have been dedicated to their personal commitment and volunteer schedule since joining our team of volunteers.
Pat and Joyce, you are an inspiration! Thank you for your heart and dedication to touching lives and serving the homeless community. You are a joy to serve with.
On April 4th, 175 volunteers came out to skid row to help URM pass out over 3,000 hygiene boxes to 44 different SRO’s (single room occupancy hotels) around the neighborhood.
As I worked with the Los Angeles Police Department this morning to solve a major crime (more details to come in weeks ahead), I began to reflect on all that URM and our staff have accomplished to bring change to the streets of Skid Row. Many others rightly get credit for the major turnaround on these difficult streets. Our friend, Steve Lopez, author of The Soloist—the book on which the soon to be released movie, The Soloist, is based—opened the eyes of all of LA to the realities of Skid Row in his series, Life On The Streets in 2005. Commander Andy Smith, labeled Super Cop during his time serving at Central Division, and his courageous officers brought order to what he described as Mardi Gras on crack. Less apparent to our great city, has been the work of URM and our staff.
In 2005 we took decisive, bold action and purchased a safe place called Hope Gardens Family Center, so that we could move our women and children from the streets of Skid Row and make sure that no women or children were left living on the streets of Skid Row. We fought a lengthy battle to win the right to move our women and children to Skid Row, at a time when there was a great deal of talk about opening regional centers to serve people who were homeless. In the words of Steve Lopez, “Union Rescue Mission was the only one who succeeded in opening up one of those regional centers, and it is called Hope Gardens!” We welcomed LA County Family workers on site and provided offices for them so that we could work together to make sure that no woman or child was left on these mean streets.
We recently received a nice Thank you, from LA County CEO William T. Fujioka for doing our part.
When Chief Bratton moved ahead with the Safer Cities Initiative, we were one of the few and the first agencies to support them in bringing extra officers to the streets of Skid Row. We helped prepare the new officers with how to deal with our sensitive friends who are homeless and struggling on the streets; we joined them in outreach as they went out to enforce the law; we are still called on by the LAPD to go out and alert our friends who are homeless before the LAPD carries out a maximum enforcement of the no sleeping ordinance in effect from 6:00 A.M. to 9 P.M.
In March of 2006 we caught a hospital drop-off on video, a video that played throughout the world and provided strong evidence that “hospital dumpings” were not an Urban myth. This led to proper care for this particular patient, helped lead to the development of a proper protocol for the release of future patients and even led to a city law that prohibits such patient dumping. Just last week, a press conference was held on our URM rooftop, as a hospital and the city came to a settlement over the dropping off of 150 mental patients onto the streets of Skid Row. URM and our staff found the first fellow wandering the streets. We gathered evidence and turned it over to the City Attorney’s Office, which led to the finding that at least 150 mental patients, our most vulnerable citizens, had been dropped off by this Orange County Hospital—40 miles away—onto the mean streets of Skid Row. This has now led to the development of a new, Patient Safety Zone, and a proper protocol for the referral of Mental Health Patients.
When the economic downturn hit hard last Fall, we recognized early that 2 parent families were losing their homes, and while other agencies cut staff and services, our Board of Directors provided the leadership that allowed us to transform our 5th floor from volunteer housing to temporary living quarters for 2 parent families and single Dads with children. We utilized our Chapel as a kind of Red Cross like Emergency Shelter for families living in tent like structures called EDAR units. We stepped up to meet the growing need as we assisted nearly 4 times the number of families than we had the previous year. URM has not done this alone. Our faithful staff and bold Board of Directors have played a key role in making a powerful impact on Skid Row, and we move ever closer to the day when we truly can describe our city as the City of Angels, and Skid Row will be better known as Hope Central. I am honored to serve here at Union Rescue Mission. It is the greatest honor in my life.
On Sunday, I had the privilege of celebrating Easter at the Hollywood Bowl with men and women in the midst of transforming their lives through one of URM’s long-term residential programs. The Easter message is one of love, sacrifice, redemption, miracles and HOPE! As you might imagine, there was something very special about listening to that message and considering the impact of God’s love and sacrifice on my own life as I watched our men and women — people who had lost all hope before coming to Union Rescue Mission, respond to the same message.
Your generosity makes HOPE possible! Click here to see “Serwa – part 2” the latest video in the ongoing, ground breaking series – Stories from Skid Row. Serwa’s story is a great example of the transformation that can take place when someone who is homeless is given the tools and support they need to get their life back in order. And when you give, you share in the success of each of the men and women, like Serwa, that we are caring for.
Union Rescue Mission is facing incredibly difficult times right now as we make room for the men, women and children who are coming to us every day. Your continued support will make it possible to renovate 22 more units of housing at our Hope Gardens Family Center so we can move 22 more precious moms and their children out of Skid Row and to a life of Hope. Every gift, large or small makes a big difference.
Disney hosted an Easter Celebration at Hope Gardens Family Center on Saturday, April 11th.
Disney brought fun games and crafts for the kids. After every game, each child received Disney character prizes.
Even the mothers joined in on the sack race games.
The kids loved decorating Easter eggs, making jewelry, and drawing.
The beautiful Spring day was full of Easter love and laughter. Thank you Disney for providing Hope Gardens moms and kids a wonderful family-filled Easter.
Disney also donated backpacks and other items that will be added to the Hope Gardens youth store, where youth are able to “purchase” items as a part of the afterschool program incentives.
Union Rescue Mission was recognized as a 2009 top GiftLegacy/GiftLaw charity. With hundreds of thousands of donors getting their gift planning information online, Crescendo Interactive decided to award GiftLegacy sites with substantial numbers of eNewsletter and website contacts. URM was awarded as a bronze-level charity.
Awarded sites had great eContact or page-view rates for three reasons. First, they had a significant eNewsletter distribution that brought donors and advisors to their website to be educated and motivated in philanthropy. Second, they have an easy one or two-click access from their Hope Page to the Planned Giving Home Page. Finally, each charity has a short “easy to type” web address printed on all their royalty-free GiftLegacy eLiterature (print newsletters, brochures, ads and postcards).
See URM’s Planned Giving site at www.urmgift.org and sign up for GiftLegacy eNewsletters and/or GiftLaw eNewsletters for professionals (i.e. attorneys, CPA’s).
