Rev. Andy's Blog
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, September 20th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
"Kat"
The Union Rescue Mission EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH program has been going strong for over a year and continues to be a wonderful time for our staff to nominate come and celebrate a member of our team that has gone above and beyond. It’s especially fun for me because I get to introduce all the nominees during our Tuesday Morning Chapel Service and announce the winner as the entire room erupts into cheering as they give their peer a standing ovation!
On Many occasions, including our most recent recipient, the winner is someone who graduated from one of our Life Transformation Programs before joining our staff. I thought you might like to read the nomination we received for our August 2011 Employee of the Month: KATHLEEN PITT
“Kathleen (Kat) Pitt works in Maintenance at Hope Gardens Family Center. Kat, as we know her, has gone way above and beyond so many times it is difficult to pin one thing down. She started in the Program at HGFC with her daughter Zoe and graduated almost 3 years ago. Kat is always willing to stay and help when help is needed. Even if that means she is by herself on a project. Kat comes in at all hours of the night to assist with emergencies and never complains about the time. Kat has recently come to URM downtown to assist with the kitchen shutdown and worked several days, and one day over 13 hours to try and get us up and going.
Over the years she has been a mentor to the ladies at Hope Gardens, but beyond that she regularly attends AA meetings and continues to have a sponsor. Kat has also been asked on several occasions to speak at Pepperdine University along with Dr. Paulette about her experience with domestic violence and I have heard that many times she has made a huge impact on the audience. I am sure some of you saw her as one of the models last year at our Hearts for Hope Fashion Show Fundraiser.
She regularly leads groups of volunteers at HGFC and the common thing I hear as they leave is “WE LOVE KAT”. I always respond with – “what isn’t there to love about Kat!”
Last year Kat was working her regular shift at HGFC and saw a lady outside the gate stumbling down the road. She immediately went over to check on her and realized the lady had no clothing on and had been shot in the head. Putting her own safety in jeopardy since she didn’t know where the shooter was, she rescued her and saved her life.
Kat was also a huge help in the untimely death of our Chef at HGFC by calling for help and administering CPR until help arrived. She is selfless and believes in our Mission and what we do. Kat continues to impress me with how far she has come.
I often think not only of the example she sets for the women at Hope Gardens, but also the example she sets for me. I could go on for 10 more pages, but I think you get the idea of what kind of person I am nominating here. Kat exudes our Mission Statement – Exceeds the need all the way home – and beyond by showing the love and compassion that we all strive for. Kat never asks for recognition for herself or wants any thanks. She just keeps on moving forward and loves what she does.”
Kat’s story is wonderful example of the miracles that take place everyday at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center…miracles we all share in as work together to end homelessness in the City of Angels.
Blessings,
Rev. Andy Bales
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011, Filed Under General, Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
Dear Friends,
The number of children coming to URM for shelter and services has increased 55% over last year. This alarming trend makes the battle we are fighting to remain sustainable in these incredibly challenging times all the more difficult and…all the more important.
Weekly occupancy reports do not do justice to needs we are seeing every day. For example, I made dinner for all of the moms and kids at Hope Gardens last week. The campus is bursting with 70 moms and senior ladies and 100 children. I was so thankful for the provision of Hope Gardens Family Center as we served these precious families in two shifts! The next day, I greeted yet 1 more mom with her 12 year old son at URM bringing the total number of children downtown to 88. That’s a total of 188 precious children currently depending on us for help!
Please stand with us, pray with us and support us during this
challenging time of great need by families and children!
Giving for July and August is almost 50% less than we budgeted. This combined with, as of today, not being reimbursed by FEMA, $308,000, for providing last year’s Winter Shelters, has put us in a tenuous position for the next 45 days, when normal Fall giving should hopefully provide some much needed relief!
Could you find it in your heart, despite these trying times, to give an early, generous gift to URM, to bridge the summer gap and keep this life-saving work going?
Thank you and God bless you.
Sincerely,
Rev. Andy Bales
Please Donate Now
On line► www.urm.org/donate
Via Smart Phone ► http://m.give.mobi/urm
by Rev. Andy on Friday, August 19th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
Have you ever been seemingly unfairly, severely disciplined? How did you react? I remember some severe times of discipline in my life, like not making the All-Star Baseball team as a Little Leaguer because of my bad attitude. I shaped up the next year and was a unanimous choice! Another time I was wrongly accused of cheating in class, blew up at the teacher who was a former shot-putter in college, and threw my books at the chalkboard and walked out. When we sat down and my mom explained all that was going on in my life – brother in prison, Dad losing his business and everything, and me being diagnosed with diabetes – the teacher, Mr. Klein and I became good friends. There have been times when I understood and deserved discipline, and times when I’ve been bewildered by it.
Right now is one of those bewildering times. I am doing my best, working too hard, and I am facing one challenge after another, poor health, a wicked economy, lots of criticism. One problem after another. I don’t even know whether I will weather next week!!
Surprisingly, I am thankful. I’m counting on the Scripture verse found in Hebrews: 12:5-6:
Hebrews 12:5-6 (ESV)
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
The tough times make me certain that God loves me as a son. I am also certain that it all will add up for my good, and draw me closer to the Lord.
Job 5:17-18 (ESV)
17 “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal.
A favorite song of mine is the new one, Blessings, by Laura Story. I want this song performed at my funeral;
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
I believe these words with my whole heart, and I am thankful for the severe discipline that I am currently receiving from above. I know that the only correct response is to do what I did in Little League baseball, get a good attitude, and strengthen whatever area is weak in my life.
Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Blessings,
by Rev. Andy on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
by Guest Bloggers Chris Strode & Scott Bonovich
Thursday, August 4, 2011 will always be remembered as a very special day in the recent history of Union Rescue Mission.
On that day, four gentlemen from UGL Limited, an international Fortune 500 company, came to URM for the sole purpose of meeting and interviewing ten men who had graduated from our CLDP Life Transformation program. The interview process was set-up and arranged through John Kennelly and Will Nicklas of Toyota Motor Sales, USA who took time from their own very busy corporate schedules to mentor the ten Alumnus over the course of eight weeks. It was a day that changed lives forever.
Brantley Wheeler – Senior Director of Operations, Rodney McSheridan – Director of Operations, Robert Pugh – Regional Facility Manager and Jason Rawls – Operations Manager from UGL Services along with our two friends from Toyota Motor Sales, USA met in the board room where they heard from Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission, Chaplain Steve Borja, our Chief Programs Officer and Chaplain Rodney Tanaka, chaplain of our men’s graduate groups - Apprentice and Nikkos. Also present were the ten men interviewees. During the presentation, Andy Bales shared, “…the best part of my job is watching living miracles like the men sitting with us today who have reached past the level of responsibility and accountability of their lives and job functions…they have taken ownership and remained teachable in the process.”
After a tour of our downtown facility, the men from UGL Services got a first-hand glimpse at what is involved in true Life Transformation, coming away from the tour with admiration for the participants as well as the manner in which URM utilized every available space to its maximum, “…far more,” they said, “…than so many other facilities they worked with”.
At the culmination of over 8 weeks of mentoring and job preparation, the ‘hour of decision’ arrived. Two offices were used for the interviewing with the URM alumni receiving last minute coaching from their mentors, John and Will.
The process took several hours with heightened tension and anticipation; “…like expectant fathers waiting for the delivery…” according to John Kennelly. Nobody knew the outcome, nobody really knew what to expect – least of all those ten courageous men going through the interview process, men who only a little over a year before, had come to URM tired of the mean streets, tired of their way of life and looking – needing – to be transformed.
By 4:30 Thursday evening the interviews were completed, and the UGL representatives met to systematically compare notes and began requesting specific men return to meet with them. We would have been delighted had even one of our alumni been offered a job; ecstatic with two. But that Thursday was a very special day indeed…THREE of our alumni were offered immediate employment and a further four were offered jobs in the immediate future! Seven out of ten! Had this been baseball it would have been a Hall-of-Fame day! And perhaps as important were the first words from Senior Director of Operations, Brantley Wheeler and Director of Operations Rodney McSheridan who chorused, “When can we do this again?”
Our hope, as time goes on, is to share even more about community involvement in Union Rescue Mission’s Life Transformation programs as we continue to build upon our Job Development Program. Lives were changed on that very special day; the lives of 10 courageous and hardworking men, the lives of 4 unique executives from UGL Services, the lives of 2 very special friends from Toyota Motor Sales, USA…and our own.
by Rev. Andy on Thursday, June 30th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
If you have been following Union Rescue Mission in the news, you know that we made the decision to abandon our EIMAGO Subsidiary, and withdraw completely from any government funded programs, due to the contracts never quite paying enough to carry out the programs, and not reimbursing us in a timely manner, as well as government funding moving completely away from the kind of Life Transforming Programs that URM carries out. We made it very public that we are still owed $305,000 from the Winter Shelter program that ended March 15th, 2011.
We were called to a meeting with County and City Officials at the County Hall of Administration this week. We had submitted a proposal to the County that called for their assistance in our efforts to get all children away from the dangerous streets of Skid Row, and out to safe places like our own Hope Gardens. We had submitted this proposal just before we made the decision to pull out of all government funded programs. I was a bit apprehensive about the meeting, but also held out some hope that the County would want to assist us in caring out a mandate that we both hold firm, to move every precious child off of Skid Row.
My apprehension was confirmed when a County official and Mike Arnold, the CEO of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority(LAHSA) looked me in the eye and said that URM was the problem-that as long as URM welcomed families with children, their home communities would not. We were told, and I quote,
“You need to shut your front door to families with children, and leave them on the streets in their communities, so that the communities’ social consciousness will be elevated, and they will step up and provide services to their neighbors.”
Though we’ve cooperated in every way, moved 450 families through to housing each year, developed Life Transforming Transitional Housing for families at Hope Gardens against all odds and even County opposition, URM was described as the bump in the road for solving family homelessness in Los Angeles!
In effect, we were told by at least one County official, and Mike Arnold, to change our Mission statement from, “We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ” to
“We shut the door on people, especially children, experiencing homelessness, and leave them on the streets of their communities to elevate the consciousness of their neighbors so that they might provide services!
Well, we are going to continue to embrace people, especially precious children experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ, and we are going to leave our front doors open to all who come to us in need!
Mike Arnold of LAHSA did offer that when a family first arrives at URM, if we called him directly, he would make sure they were provided housing elsewhere that day. We are absolutely taking him up on that offer. All of our case managers have been instructed to call Mike the moment that new families arrive at our door, and we are going to continue to work very hard to place families elsewhere and track the results.
We were also told that if we disappeared, that it would not make a difference in family homelessness in LA.
I’ll tell you what, as I parked in my parking place this morning, and watched proud parents, all cleaned up for work, walking their nicely dressed kids on their way to school this morning, from their temporary home here at Union Rescue Mission, I knew in my heart that we are making a difference for quite a number of families experiencing homelessness, and we will continue to do what we can, for as many as we can.
My heart won’t let me, the hearts of the Board of Directors and staff of the URM, and the heart of Jesus Christ will not let us leave precious children out on the streets of our cities waiting for the consciousness of others to elevate until they provide the much needed services. We will continue to lead by example, as an encouragement to other communities to develop those welcoming facilities that will accommodate their neighbors experiencing homelessness in their own communities. Until that happens, it is a bad time to shut any doors.
Matthew 12:18-20 (ESV)
18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, June 21st, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
Upon the recommendation of URM/EIMAGO CEO Andy Bales, the Board of Directors of Union Rescue Mission solemnly yet unanimously voted to cease operating Government funded programs of EIMAGO, and to extricate ourselves from any capital projects. This includes all year-round shelters, winter shelters; Project Restart II, and the Broadway Project – two offsite shelters that each serves 9 families.
We do this with heavy hearts, as we grieve the loss of some of our valuable team members. However, the fact that funds have become more and more uncertain in these very difficult times combined with the risks and financial hardships associated with these programs have brought us to this point:
- The funds we obtain from County/City/Federal/LAHSA resources are never sufficient to fully operate the programs, causing a drain on URM resources.
- We do not have excess reserves due to URM’s stepping up to house triple the number of families, double the number of people and serve double the number of meals since the Great Recession hit so hard in October 2008.
- We are facing late or possible non-payment of $305,000 from Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds for the work completed by EIMAGO during winter shelters, which ended March 15th, 2011. This has put us in a precarious position, placing URM programs in jeopardy as we struggle to close a potential deficit of $1.3 million dollars as we prepare a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1st.
In addition, most government resources are moving towards permanent-supportive housing, and away from the Life Transforming educational work that is URM’s focus.
We will continue to serve over 2500 meals a day and shelter an average of 800 precious people each night at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center. And, we will continue to cooperate, collaborate and support our city, county state and federal efforts to end homelessness, but we will in no way jeopardize our Life Transforming work by depending on these uncertain funding sources or movements to unsure strategies.
Sincerely,
Rev. Andy Bales
CEO URM/EIMAGO
abales@urm.org
626-260-4761
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, June 7th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
Dear Friends,
It’s been a year since I was forced to write a frantic “Save Hope Gardens” letter. Much has happened since then and I want to personally thank you for your faithful, generous support of Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center! You are truly a blessing.
I’m writing today to give you an update on the life transforming work you make possible and ask you to remain steadfast in your commitment to help people experiencing homelessness.
With less than 30 days left in this fiscal year, we need your help to end strong! We must continue moving precious women and children from the dangers of Skid Row to the safety of Hope Gardens!
Just the other day I saw 17 year old Michelle, a beautiful young Italian girl staying at URM downtown. She had lost track of her mom, and connected with her by phone. I caught up with her just as she headed toward the door to walk two blocks through Skid Row to meet up with her mom and brother and sisters. I said, “Hold up, Michelle. Let me walk with you to make sure that you make it safely.” Michelle thanked me, but we desperately need to work together to deliver Michelle and other precious young ones here at URM to the safety of Hope Gardens!
We need to gather enough reserves, nearly $2 Million, to ensure that we will make it through the difficult summer months of July and August and into the early Fall and September, so that we can continue to step up to meet the unprecedented needs of precious people.
Despite nearly tripling the number of families housed, doubling the number of people housed, and doubling the number of meals served to our friends experiencing homelessness, we have decreased our expenses by nearly $3 Million from last year! The cost saving steps we have taken to date include:
- Consolidating our Hope Gardens and URM kitchens into one at URM
- Strengthening our Volunteer Office and Volunteer experience
- Renegotiating all contracts down by 10%
- Shrinking our IT department and adding to our Life Transformation Programs
- Implementing the Gateway program which has provided high expectations and allowed our guests to participate and invest in their own recovery.
- We are also planning to implement a much stronger job preparedness and job finding component to our program for men and women.
These expense saving measures and our focus on Life Transformation have all of URM excited about our future, but we need your continued support!
Would you please today consider a special fiscal year end gift today to help us rescue more moms and kids from Skid Row and help secure the future of Union Rescue Mission and our Hope Gardens Family Center?
Your co-worker in Christ,
Andy Bales
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, May 24th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
I just returned from a fantastic, encouraging Association of Gospel Rescue Missions Conference, and heard from many faithful people how much they have been praying for me!
I want to let you know that your prayers have been powerful! Your prayers, God’s healing touch, a very strict diet, lots of exercise, and strong medicine from my brilliant doctors have helped me make a remarkable improvement!
Last Thanksgiving my kidneys failed, and for a few weeks I thought I was not going to make it. I certainly was believing I would have to retire and go on disability, as I signed up and went through the testing for possible kidney dialysis and a kidney transplant. My world was turned a bit upside down.
However, with some encouraging words by my Dr. that I needed to “work until I dropped”, strong support from my wife and the team at URM, tripling of my medication, and going on a strict low phosphorous and low potassium diet, mostly made up of vegetables, fruits and water, along with 8 weeks of shots of procrit to boost my red blood cells and rid me of dizziness I was experiencing, my kidney function has improved from 16% to 22%, moving me far away from dialysis for the time being.
I’ve not only improved remarkably in kidney function, but I’ve lost 34 lbs and my red blood cell count has improved so much that I no longer need the expensive shots of procrit, and my cholesterol is so good that any blockage in my heart and arteries is being reduced! In fact, at Thanksgiving 15 out of my 15 blood tests were abnormal. Now only 9 out of 15 tests are at abnormal levels.
I haven’t had a diet coke, chocolate, cheese, dairy of any kind, chips, potatoes, and my favorite sweet potatoes or baked beans in over 26 weeks, but it is easy to follow a diet when it keeps you alive and doing the work that you love! Thanks, again, for your faithful prayers!
by Rev. Andy on Tuesday, April 26th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
As many of you know, about this time last year we had to have an amazing push at the end of our 2010 fiscal year. We conducted an all-out campaign to save URM’s Hope Gardens Family Center using mail, email, text, twitter, Facebook, YouTube, news media, and personal calls to raise a remarkable $3.8 Million in 37 days. We not only won the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Achievement Award, but I was named the Fundraising Professional of the Year in the National Fundraiser of the Year Awards held by Fundraising Success Magazine. Most importantly, we saved Hope Gardens and kept over 100 precious moms and children from leaving a place of safety and peace only to return to the mean streets of Skid Row. It was amazing!
This year, when declining giving trends combined with the continued need for services indicated a $1.4 Million dollar deficit was looming, we knew we needed a different approach. Otherwise, we would be putting all that we do, including Hope Gardens, in peril despite the fact that we have cut costs by a mind boggling $2.5 Million so far this year compared to last! We knew that we could not wait for a push and a last minute scramble as we were forced into last year.
We put together a prospectus that showed how we have stepped up to serve three times the number of families, double the people, and double the number of meals since the Great Recession hit so hard in October of 2008. The prospectus also showed the expense reductions we have made, and our sustainability plans for the future, including the introduction of our now very successful Gateway Program, which has high expectations of our guests participating in their own recovery.
I decided to call on 50 of our donors and friends, and we decided that our donor officers would call on another 250, to share the prospectus in an effort to make up the $1.4 Million deficit.
We are making incredible progress, and we are still adding up the fantastic gifts that were the results of these personal meetings, but let me take a moment to share the greatest benefit these calls have been to me.
I have met some of the most remarkable people on the face of the earth. I spent incredible time with one of the greatest aviators in history, 78 years old, still piloting jets at least 3 times per week, with a collection of aircraft that would blow your mind! He gave to URM this year instead of throwing his Christmas party for over 400 people at his company and the local airport. I learned more about airplanes and jets in 2 hours than I had learned in 52 years! His achievements were incredible but his heart for others inspired me!
I also was able to connect and provide a tour to one of the stars of the hit television show GLEE! She and her handsome actor husband took time out of their day to take a tour of URM. Their commitment to Christ and concern for others was very encouraging. Their young age, maturity, love for each other, and generosity to our guests gave me even more hope for our world and the future.
I met another gentleman at his business. He installs home video/audio systems in wealthy homes. I am talking expensive homes! He showed me one $40,000,000 home that he had just placed a Home Theater in! He shared that he was replacing the $250,000 model in his office with a new $500,000 model. I asked if he could donate the old one to the URM Chapel, and he said “Yes!” A customer came in, and he began to tell the customer about URM, and I realized that this business owner is a better salesman for URM than I could ever be! Over lunch, the business owner stated that he wanted to do more with his life. He also let me know that he is an avid surfer at the age of 55! I asked him to come to URM and give tours. “I will do it!” I said, “Beit T’Shuvah’s recovery program has a surfing component. Why couldn’t URM’s recovery program have a surfing component that you could lead?” “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” he exclaimed! He and his beautiful wife sent me back to the Mission with a generous check and an unbelievable amount of hope.
So far, I have met with 17 of these special friends of Union Rescue Mission. I cannot wait to meet with the rest! I feel it has been the highlight of my time here as CEO! While we are still in the process of solidifying all of our plans for the July 1st start of our new fiscal year, I can tell you one thing for certain. I’m planning on meeting with 100 donors starting in September.
I believe personally meeting with folks and sharing what’s happening at URM is not only the most brilliant strategy we’ve ever employed to raise funds, it’s quite possibly the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I’ve met some of the most remarkable, generous people in the world!
Blessings,
by Rev. Andy on Friday, April 8th, 2011, Filed Under Rev Andy's Blog | View Comments
I had the opportunity to help one of our Security Guards yesterday by taking his post in our dining room for a moment during lunch while he assisted a guest in storing his medicine in a refrigerator. As I watched over the room, one of our guests, coming in late for lunch, asked, “What are you trying to do to us?” He was inquiring about some changes we put into place last Friday, April 1st. I answered, “We are trying to keep this place open, so we do not go broke, and can continue to help everyone. We are also trying to help everyone to help themselves!” He said, “OK. Thank you!”
As you may know, if you have been following us through these challenging times, we’ve tripled the number of families, doubled the number of people housed, and doubled the number of meals served since October 2008 when the recession hit all of us hard. That kind of pressing need, coupled with our donors struggling, and lower giving, is a disastrous combination, and cannot be sustained.
I thought about changes for years, especially in our guests’ program. I came to Union Rescue Mission with a belief and a practice that people respond better when they pay part of their own way, carry their own weight, and if they have a chance to pay something for what they receive it affirms their dignity. I also believed that if you expect a lot you will get a lot. In fact, for years I shared that if you provide 1000 beds in which people can crash in any condition, you will have 1000 people crashing in any condition, but if you provide 1000 beds with accountability and an expectation for people to help themselves, you will have 1000 beds full of people trying to help themselves!
So, faced with an ever uncertain future, an ever growing pressing financial situation, and a dissatisfaction with our guest program, our Senior Leadership Team, encouraged by our Board of Directors, took 2 days away to develop a Sustainability Plan. We were encouraged by our Board to focus on Life Transformation, and that was music to our ears. We decided to allow these tough circumstances to make us think out of the box, and creatively turn these seemingly insurmountable challenges into opportunities for change.
On April 1st, motivated by the strong beliefs mentioned above, and a need to become financially sustainable, we implemented the following changes at URM:
Our 300 guest beds, provided at no charge and with little or no expectations, would be replaced by 300 Gateway Program beds, which would carry with them an expectation of sobriety, attendance at a limited number of classes including Celebrate Recovery, an ability to rest in the bed at any time, a locked foot locker, and a $7.00 per day charge – of which $2.00 per day is a personal savings plan for the participant. Everyone who receives General Relief, and that is nearly 99% of our guests, can afford this program. With the funds raised by the $5.00 per day program fee, URM provides extra case management and home finding assistance. For new participants, the first 5 days are free — giving folks ample time to decide whether to enroll into the Gateway Program or into one of our no charge, long-term recovery programs. (I’ll share more about those in a moment.) In rare exceptions, when no income is available, either I have paid the fee for a guest in rare circumstances, or we work out a volunteer opportunity for someone to serve rather than pay.
We began communicating the changes over one month in advance giving our guests ample time to prepare. A detailed memo reminding everyone of the changes was sent just days before the transition. Our Program Team, led by Chaplain Steve Borja, dealt with the details and when the transition came last week, it was smoother and better than I could have ever imagined! 300 beds in the Guest area vacated, but nearly 150 people determined to help themselves filled the Gateway Beds up!
As part of the transition, we stopped serving single men and single women guests who do not live at URM breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and moved to a lunch only format. Families with children are still welcome to come in from the outside and eat at all three meals. Our live-in guests still are served breakfast lunch and dinner. We utilize the three hour window when we open to outside guests for lunch to allow them to shower, obtain clean clothes, and we recruit and encourage folks to try the Gateway Program or enroll into one of our long-term Life Transformation Programs.
The transition and transformation was amazing! A guest from the Gateway Program thanked me in the hallway. “Andy, thank you for the changes you made! You caused the people who did not want to help themselves and caused all of the problems to leave, and you brought in people who want to help themselves!” I heard people talking in the hallways of “how the tremendous pressure is off”, and “how safe and quiet it is!”
It may sound like tough love, but here are the facts:
When someone comes in they have 5 free days. They can enroll in our Gateway Program, and pay just part of their way (the total cost to URM is $25.00 per day)
Or, they can enroll in our long term (1 year) recovery program. Instead of paying their way, they will be attending 400 hours in the learning center, hundreds of hours of Physical Education, 40 hours of Counseling, hundreds of hours of classes such as Overcoming Addiction, Healthy Relationships, Finances, Dealing With Grief, and spending hundreds of hours volunteering or in work therapy. In other words, they will be earning their keep with their efforts to improve their lives, all free of charge, in an extremely effective program.
As I drove home last Friday, knowing the results of the changeover, I thanked the Lord for a Board that prodded us to think out of the box. I thanked Him for an amazing, detail-oriented, faithful staff that carried out our vision, and I realized that Union Rescue Mission had become a huge successful model of my 1st experience in a Rescue Mission, the Door of Faith Mission in Des Moines, founded by a man who had experienced homelessness himself. George Holloway, who developed a model where the men pay part of their own way, had an expectation of sobriety, a Mission that fed men and women well so that they could go out and work hard and help themselves, and where people’s dignity was fully affirmed!
As I irritatingly say to my wife when I win in a card game, I love it when a plan comes together! God is good!
