Andy's Updates - 7/2009
by Rev. Andy on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
In 2009 at Union Rescue Mission downtown we served an average of 389 additional meals per day, a 15% increase from 2008! We housed an additional 175 individuals per night, a 26% increase. At our downtown facility we housed an additional 21 families per night, a 126% increase, and we housed an average of 13 additional single moms per night, a 76% increase. Of all the parents with kids at URM, including single moms, single dads, and married couples, we saw a 154% increase. The number of children increased by 160%, an average 40 additional kids per night. The number of guest men was up 5% over last year, and guest women up 9%.
At our Hope Gardens Family Center facility in Sylmar, we had a 37% increase in the number of families (average 8 additional moms per night) and a 32 % increase in the number of precious children (average 14 additional kids per night) from 2008.
The numbers and increases are incredible, but the picture of the many families living in tent like structures, called EDARS, in our chapel, community rooms, and conference rooms is an even more amazing sight to behold. The volume of people who get in line for one of our 9 meals per day is also staggering.
More striking however, are the life transformations that happen here every day. 14 of our 5th Floor Project Restart families (two-parent and single dad families), many who were homeless for the first time in their lives, have now moved back out into society. They have overcome the trauma of homelessness, saved their money, many found employment, and are now in a place of there own again.
In the last year, 66 men have graduated from our 1 year, intensive Christian Life Discipleship Program. Of those 66 who worked hard to transform their lives, 46 (70%) are still doing well—active and sober; many are in school, job training, or have a job. This is the greatest percentage of success that we have experienced in this program, which is remarkable considering most recovery programs have only about a 10% success rate. It might be hard to find 46 out of any 66 “average Joe’s” or even men in a church who have not slipped up. This is true transformation.
I heard an encouraging story yesterday about one of our young ladies at Hope Garden Family Center. An experienced business professional contacted HG some time ago and asked if he could design and teach a job preparation class for our residents. The class is quite intense as it is three sessions, four hours each class and with role play business interviews at the class’s conclusion. One young mother attended seemingly only as a requirement. Her lack of focus and attention was obvious by her unwillingness to answer questions, her sullen look and body language. After the class was over, however, this young mother took the lessons to her room and to her heart. Part of the class is on re-building self esteem and requires memorization of Joshua 1:5-9.
During a subsequent visit by our volunteer to HG the young mother approached him with a smile previously not frequent on her face! She beamed: “I found a place. My own place to live with my children and we are getting ready to move in real soon! And I have two excellent job prospects!” … “How did you do on the interviews?” Our volunteer asked with a grin. … Her smile only grew brighter “Oh – after your class – those were easy!” It is a joy to see the Holy Spirit rebuild a life.
Our numbers are up and seem to be overwhelming, but the good news is that life transformations are skyrocketing as well.
Blessings, Andy B.
by monica on Friday, July 17th, 2009, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
After a joy-filled Christmas in July at Union Rescue Mission this Wednesday that found Santa and me being buried by smiling, shrieking 1st time snowball throwing children having the time of their lives, I found myself trying to rest my tired body as I worked through a pile of papers in my office on Thursday.
Late in the day the young widow of my colleague and friend stopped by to chat. She is wrestling with the question of “why.” She and I agreed that her husband and also my Dad are in a better place, healed and now whole, possibly walking the Streets of Gold together, and they are no longer suffering. However, when she prays in the future for people to be healed from their illness, she wants to be able to pray with a full belief that God will choose to heal them, and she does not want to pray doubting or half-heartedly. I shared what I know from the Bible and I shared from my own experiences, and my own waves of grief that have been flowing over me since the death of my Father and her husband, but mostly I just sat and shared tears with her.
After she left, I went to the URM cafeteria to greet our families and children and sit with my little praying buddies at dinner time. A mom, who had made the mistake of leaving our facility early, quite likely for the man in her life, had come back to us needing a place to stay. She had her precious big deep blue-eyed 1 year baby boy with her. I told her that she could stay; we would make room somewhere for her and her little guy, who was cracking a half smile at me while I tickled his feet. She began to weep, and everyone at the table began to sing to her softly, “Call on me Sister, when you need a hand…” and one of our lady staff came to console her. It was hard to hold back my tears.
On my home, I heard Rabbi Josephson on KNX 1070 AM radio, saying, when tragedy strikes, don’t waste time asking the “Why?” questions. “Why did God bring this tragedy into my life?” “Why didn’t God spare me this trouble or sickness?” He said instead know that God is with you through this tragedy, trouble, loss and time of grief. Instead of asking “why” ask “what are God and I going to do together with what is left of my life?” I appreciated hearing that at the end of this day. I am going to share this with the young widow and the abandoned mom at URM.
If you, like me, have suffered the loss of a loved one, the exit of a co-worker, or the lesser loss of the disappearance of your 401K and you are struggling, know that God is with you and ask Him, “what are you and I going to do to make the most of the rest of my life?”
Blessings, Andy B.
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
Serving at one of the largest rescue missions, if not the largest, in the United States has its challenges—especially when it’s in the heart of Los Angeles’ Skid Row, one of the most difficult places on the face of the earth. For those not familiar with Skid Row in LA, it is roughly a 50 square block area that has been devastated over the years by a practice and policy of containment and corralling of people who are homeless, addicted, or mentally troubled by the powers that be in all of LA County.
For years area agencies, hospitals, police departments, and others from outside communities have dropped off, even bussed in people who are unwanted in their communities. This created what I call one of the greatest human tragedies/disasters in the United States.
At one time there were thousands of desperate people on Skid Row, just outside of the walls of Union Rescue Mission. Crime and violence, murder and overdose deaths were rampant. Large rats were, and still are, a part of the scenery. Drug deals and drug use could be found at every step.
I’m happy to report that there has been improvement as the thousands have turned into hundreds due to hard work by area agencies and the Safer Cities Initiative by the LAPD. Crime has been reduced. Violence, murder and overdose deaths are down. But drug use, drug sales and violence—especially against women—are still intolerably high.
At Union Rescue Mission, we work hard to make sure that a walk inside our doors is a pleasant experience and a transformational step away from the struggles that wait right outside. That is why I left with great concern last Friday when I learned that someone had run into our parking lot gate—breaking it. The gate would have to be left open, putting our guests at risk over the weekend.
It is not just the gates and secure doors that keep trouble out and bring peace inside. It is a combination of vigilant staff and loving volunteers who truly make the difference. However, locked gates and doors sure help!
A staff person inquired of me regarding the broken gate stating “The battle never ends.” I then shared that this was just one of a number of battles that I had waged on this day before the Holiday weekend. My text back read “Battled economy, housing 1st push, drug dealing, bed bugs and hospital drop off so far today – now the parking gate”.
That day I had already poured over the budget making adjustments to keep the folks under our watch employed, while also trying to keep enough reserves to weather the summer doldrums of giving—not to mention the continued budget battle in the Great Recession of 2007, 2008, 2009, … I was on the phone and writing letters trying to raise the necessary funds to keep Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center strong in spite of the overwhelming needs coming our way. I ordered 20 more EDAR units so that we could continue accepting families, all while watching our Chapel become a tent city. I had also taken the time to write to area newspapers and community leaders, sharing my blog from June 4th regarding the Push for Housing First. I am concerned that while URM is stepping up to meet the needs of so many families in crisis, community leaders and politicians want to move funding away from missions, shelter and other “archaic models”, as they termed it, toward Housing First. Please take time to read my blog on the Housing First Push from June 4th under http://revandysblog.com
I had also been alerted/become suspicious of two possible sources of drugs being brought into our building from the outside. So I took steps to address this with enhanced security, drug testing, and an alert to the LAPD undercover unit. Then I became aware that a medical marijuana dispensary may be placed two short blocks away from URM. So you can believe this caused alarm as well.
Next, I declared all out war on a vicious group of bed bugs that we had heard was coming from other agencies in the area. One of the fellows that has had his life transformed here at URM showed me an infected elbow. So I sent our team to check out his room and mattress. When our Environmental Services leader put his finger up to a hole in the mattress, he pulled it away and it was bleeding. “Yes, that is bed bugs”, he declared. We treated the area and the bed bugs like terrorists, throwing out 26 mattresses, ordering new, and spraying the area thoroughly. Can you believe that these little terrors will cost us $10,000!?
Finally, I received a call on my way home that yet again an area hospital had dropped off a person with mental health issues at our door without any advance notice or proper referral. So I asked our team to investigate. See http://revandysblog.com from April 15th, 2009 to learn more about this.
Recently a fine, wonderful gentleman asked me why Union Rescue Mission is faith-based, dependent on Christ, and why we require employees to sign a statement of faith. The honest answer is that we would not even want to begin to take these challenges on without the power of Jesus Christ. I know that I would not and could not even begin such a task on my own.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:11-12
Thanks for your prayers! We treasure them. Andy B.
by monica on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
My plan for last Saturday was to meet one of my Facebook Friends and her group who had offered to bring a tremendous dinner to our 5th floor families and men living in our 5th floor transitional housing. They were coming to serve the dinner on our fantastic URM rooftop with a 360 degree view of all of LA County and beyond.
At 3:30, I arrived to set-up, only to be alerted that a gentleman was having a violent seizure in our guest area. I rushed in to assist and joined my long time friend, former All-American Football player, Gene — formerly homeless, now new employee. Gene and I worked together to place the man on his side, put his head on a pillow, and peal his arms back so that he could not hurt himself. We held on tight for more than 10 minutes waiting for the LA Fire Medics to arrive.
When the Fire Medics arrived, they assumed I was simply Security because I had dressed in blue jeans and a black URM golf shirt. Their Captain said, “What really happened here?” I explained that this man was having seizures for over 10 minutes, and that the last one was longer than 5 minutes. The Captain became very rude and said, “Seizures don’t last that long!” I repeated what happened and informed him that I was the CEO of URM and that this is exactly what happened. He said one more rude thing and as he was leaving I learned from our Security team and staff that this is his approach each time he makes a call here. I made a call to his Chief to request that this gentlemen get some customer service training.
Around 4:30, I headed to the roof and greeted the families and children. I tried to wear out the youngsters until the food arrived…that did not work, they wore me out thanks to my little friends, Tyron and Tyrell, two of the cutest, kindest, but most energetic guys you could ever meet.
My Facebook friend, Karen a professional photographer and avid chef at home, showed up promptly at 5:00 with her family, friends, and a large dinner bag for each person from our 5th floor family wing, men’s transitional wing, and staff — 119 bags in all! Karen had seen the movie “The Soloist” and felt compelled to feed a superb meal to people struggling with homelessness. I tried connecting her to organizations in her hometown of Burbank for opportunities to feed people, but no one could make it possible. So, I told Karen that either she could come to URM and serve the meal to our families, or I would meet her and we’d feed people right on the streets of Burbank. She got a chuckle out of that, but decided to bring a feast of pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, tossed salad, and chocolate cake, all made from scratch, and provide our families with a wonderful meal and experience. I wish you could have seen the little ones dragging their dinner bags filled with treats to a shady corner on the roof as we enjoyed a beautiful sunshine and loved filled California afternoon!
I sat with a young man, as he ate seconds of cake and tried to hide it from his young expectant wife. He was a delightful young guy working hard to overcome homelessness while expecting their first precious child.
At 6:10 P.M. one of our case managers arrived to let me know that a young mom and 6 children under the age of 5 needed a lift to the bus station along with all of their belongings to catch a 6:15 P.M. bus. We quickly loaded up in my van and raced to the bus station. I sent the young mom in to get her tickets while I entertained her precious little ones. Her two year old beauty hugged me and stared into my eyes and I wished that I could take them all home, but they were heading home to family in Colorado. The mom returned from inside the station empty handed. They had missed the first bus, and she needed $100.00 more for the new ticket. The family also needed food for the trip so I went to the ATM and acquired $160.00 and handed it to the very thankful mom. I asked the children to behave and stick close to mom during the trip. They all yelled, “Thank you, Andy!” as I prayerfully left them at the bus station and headed for home at the end of a “typical Saturday” at Union Rescue Mission.
