Dear Friends & Partners, In 2011, the Union Gospel Mission celebrated 60 years of partnering with the Inland Northwest to serve the poor of our community. Six decades. And one message resounds loudly and clearly across the years: God is faithful. He loves the poor, and when His people engage in His work, He will provide. This ministry has grown considerably since 1951 – not only in size and number of people served but also in understanding how to facilitate life transformation. Now, men and women from our recovery programs are returning to the community as employees, mentors, coaches and Sunday School teachers. They’re giving back, making the community that you and I live in a better place. Thank you for being part of that. Serving together, Phil Altmeyer Executive Director
Union Gospel Mission Ministries are administered by two boards of directors: the Association Board and the Foundation Board. The first determines policies, approves the budget and hires the executive director. The second stewards funds donated for the expansion and preservation of the ministry. Row 1 (from left): Charlie Wolfe, Dave Graham, Vern Buller, Keke Stoeser, Thada Ziegler, Steve Yoshihara, Herb Landis, Bob Cook Row 2: Vern Scoggin, Ron Mullin, Steve Lowry, Judy McGruder, Jeff Mitchell, Mary Edmonds, Jim Dunn, Bob Dunning, Richard Penn Row 3: Wyn Hill, Dan Brownell, John Goodrich, Jeff Johnson, Mark Dresback, Keith Green, Ed Schlect, Eric Green, Gary Darr Not Pictured: Brent Christian, Roger Coombs, Charlie Jackson
homeless people were counted in Spokane County on a single day
were unsheltered and living on the streets
individuals were surveyed at the Union Gospel Mission on a single day were women
Men’s Shelter
With a 185-bed capacity, the Men’s Shelter meets the immediate physical, emotional and spiritual needs of homeless men in the Inland Northwest.
Crisis Shelter for Women & Children
A safe, healthy, short-term refuge accommodating 60-80 women and children each night.
Youth Outreach
UGM staff partner with local churches to reach at-risk kids. Children from the area’s neediest neighborhoods are given a free week at the Mission’s beautiful Tshimakain Creek Camp.
Men’s Recovery Within the community of the Men’s Shelter, participants move toward life transformation through counseling, Bible study, addiction recovery classes, work requirements and vocational training.
Women’s Recovery
Within this warm, home-like setting, women and their children journey toward new life through classes, counseling, Bible study and vocational training.
UGM Motors
UGM Motors repairs & sells donated vehicles at a fair price, provides training for our program graduates, and gives vehicles away to needy individuals.
UGM Thrift Stores
The stores offer quality used goods at low cost to the community while providing vocational training for men and women in transition.
Food Services Training School
Program participants learn the ins and outs of a commercial kitchen while helping to prepare 600 plus meals a day for our guests.
Aftercare
Aftercare staff facilitate our residents’ transition back into society by connecting them to equipped mentors, churches and each other.
Vocational Advancement
Vocational Advancement staff prepare our residents to re-enter the workforce through education, job training and business practicum placements.
Chances are, rescue services are the ones that first come to mind when you hear someone refer to the Mission: food, shelter, showers, clothing and basic medical care. Our shelters provide safe, nurturing environments for people who would otherwise be homeless. Rescue is the first step to recovery and, ultimately, restoration.
A successful high school athlete, Kevin started using drugs “recreationally,” but the recreation soon disappeared. He gave up baseball, dropped out of school and, at 22, burglarized a home for drugs. Caught, convicted and released on supervision, Kevin realized he had no one to call for help – “You can’t dig yourself out of the hole that you’ve created for yourself.” Two days later, he came to the Union Gospel Mission, where he found God’s grace and a positive focus: “Relationship, relationship, relationship … people that are going to be supportive of you.” He’s looking forward to getting involved in church and going to college.
In our 18-month, grace-based recovery programs, we seek to help individuals address the underlying causes of homelessness and establish new patterns of living – not through conformity to a set of rules – but in response to God’s great love.
Homeless and addicted to drugs, Yvette thought an abortion seemed the only answer to her third pregnancy. A counselor told her about the Women’s Recovery Program at Anna Ogden Hall. In the meantime, Yvette had a tempting offer to move in with an old boyfriend, but she chose recovery. Her baby, Hunter, spent his infancy surrounded by loving women while his mom learned about a relationship with Jesus Christ, her personal worth, boundaries, parenting and how to cope with life’s struggles. As she moves out on her own, Yvette knows, “I’m a new person. Hunter’s future will be forever changed.”
We assist men and women as they transition back into society by pairing them with mature mentors, providing a variety of work experiences and helping them locate affordable housing and supportive churches.
Actions spoke louder than words to Kimmi, a meth addict and dealer who exhausted all other options before coming to the Crisis Shelter for Women and Children. “I’ve heard a lot of lines in my life, but they treated me with kindness and respect” and led her to trust the recovery program at Anna Ogden Hall. After completing the program and the Mission’s Food Services Training School, Kimmi landed a job with Centerplate, the caterer for the Spokane Convention Center. Her relationship with her estranged children is being restored, and she dreams of opening a diner where she can employ others who need a second chance.
cars were donated to UGM Motors this year
In a year in which many organizations had to cut budgets and services, UGM was blessed not only to maintain services but to expand in significant ways. The Center for Women and Children in Coeur d’ Alene, the East Wing, new cabins at Tshimakain Creek Camp, the Vocational Advancement department and street outreach are all products of God’s blessing and of the faithfulness of our partners. As we increasingly recognize the diversity of needs in the Inland Northwest, we are grateful to be in a position to meet these needs and to see lives changed as a result.
As UGM residents prepare to leave our shelters, they often struggle to find stable employment. Because the ability to provide for themselves and their families is vital to breaking the cycle of homelessness, we created a Vocational Advancement department in 2011 to increase our assistance in this area. After an initial assessment, residents and staff work together to create an individualized educational and vocational plan. Through partnerships with local businesses, men and women receive real-world experience and training. The goal is not just to get a job – any job – but to engage their talents, skills and passions in meaningful work. Fourteen local businesses joined us in this new venture in 2011, and we’re hoping to double that number in 2012.
The June 2011 groundbreaking of the Center for Women and Children in Coeur d’Alene was attended by five Kootenai County mayors and 200 plus community members, revealing extensive support for the project. By year end, the buildings were closed in and inside work had begun. An adjacent lot was purchased, providing the warehouse street-accessibility and better parking. Local churches partnered with the Mission to help raise operating expenses through a special “Don’t Look Away” offering. Businesses donated resources and expertise, and volunteers signed up to help before and after the Center opens in August 2012.
In May, we dedicated the East Wing across the street from our main shelter, providing a separate gathering place for young men, office space and much needed classroom space. The Men’s Shelter was not originally designed with classrooms in mind, but as the recovery and restoration programs have evolved, the emphasis on teaching and education has increased. Men spend a significant amount of each day in classes, and now, they have the appropriate facilities.
Tshimakain Creek Camp is growing! Thanks to numerous hours of volunteer labor and generous financial support, two new cabins were framed in 2011; at least one will be open for summer 2012 campers. We’re excited to be able to accommodate more children and church volunteers. Adequate facilities will allow the staff to focus on our guests: at-risk kids who may have no other opportunity to go to camp or to learn about God’s unconditional love for them.
In addition to individuals and groups doing community service projects, we’ve seen a major increase in the number of high-impact volunteers – those who serve at least four hours a week throughout the ministry. Providing child care, food service, administrative support, mentorship and professional services, these people allow us to keep personnel expenses down and put financial resources directly toward the most pressing needs of the homeless. Volunteers also represent the compassionate heart of the Inland Northwest toward its poor. With this growing team of active supporters, we know this community “has our back” in reaching out to its neediest members.
The Union Gospel Mission is an extension of the Inland Northwest community. We rely on the partnership of businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations to fill the unique needs of each individual we serve. In 2011, outside groups provided chapel services, put on summer camps, did landscaping and maintenance, sponsored holiday activities, hosted donation drives, and even redecorated our shelters. Our residents know UGM is a more welcoming and encouraging place because their neighbors care about their spiritual, mental, emotional and physical needs.
40% Gift-in-Kind Contributions: $3,999,122 36% Individual Contributions: $3,598,829
13.5% UGM Thrift Stores: $1,331,156 8.5% UGM Motors: $842,679 <1% Special Events: $30,248 <1% Interest Income: $2,252
1% Other: $126,686 Total: $9,930,972* * Independent Auditorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report - November 9th, 2011
88% Program Services: $9,040,812 7% Fundraising: $705,318 5% Administration: $546,362 Total: $10,292,492**
** IRS Form 990 for 2010-2011 Note: Expenditures include annual depreciation and other non-cash expenses totaling $450,238. Net cash flow provided from operating activities was $81,194.
www.ugmspokane.org