Easter re-cap

Easter Sunday was a soggy one, but it didn't stop Union Gospel Mission's Easter Brunch! 650 meals were served.

The crowd was steady throughout the day....

Over 200 volunteers helped prepare and serve the meal. We received a great donation of ham from Carlton Farms, and many Easter donations through the mail to support the meal. Thanks to volunteers and donors people who might have spent the holiday alone in the rain instead enjoyed a wonderful Easter meal at Union Gospel Mission.

Easter Eggs needed...

We don't need these pretty, colorful kind (though they are nice!) What Union Gospel Mission needs are 1,500 regular eggs (yes, over a thousand!) to provide an Easter Sunday brunch to people who are homeless or in need.

The menu for the Easter brunch is ham, eggs, biscuits and country gravy, mixed fruit, juice and coffee. Plastic forks and spoons are also needed.

What Union Gospel Mission, and over a hundred wonderful volunteers, want to do this Easter Sunday is to provide a special brunch, and a welcoming place for people who are homeless, in need of food or otherwise would spend the holiday alone. Typically, Union Gospel Mission provides between 600 and 700 meals on Easter Sunday.

If you want to donate eggs or plastic forks and spoons those can be dropped off at 15 NW Third Avenue in Portland, or call 503-274-4483. Donations online accepted at http://www.ugmportland.org/

LifeChange Graduation

Preparations are underway for a wonderful celebration on March 9. Five residents of the LifeChange addiction recovery program are graduating! Each has spent an average of about four years in recovery. Four of them used meth and one used prescription drugs as well as heroin. They all had some pretty awful experiences in the midsts of their addiction. But today they have completely re-built their lives through some very serious and hard work in LifeChange. They've come very far...




So, congratulations Doug, Brian, Daniel, Brek and Kurt! Stay tuned to hear more about their amazing stories of recovery.

Our group of graduates demostrate that recovery is possible. If you or someone you know needs help, an application for LifeChange is online at http://www.ugmportland.org/lifechange.html

Learning to have fun- clean and sober

The LifeChange addiction recovery residents took to the slopes on February 4, for the annual "snow day."

In LifeChange, the focus is on comprehensive recovery. Not only do residents learn job skills, computer skills, and other valuable life skills, they also learn a new way to have fun. In the past, many associated "fun" or "partying" with the use of drugs and alcohol.

During community recreational events, LifeChange residents get a break from their busy schedules and have a chance to see that fun doesn't need to involve drugs or alcohol.

Multi-tasking: skiing, snowboarding and posing...

Taking a break- LifeChange residents set up a tent in the ski-area parking lot, a place to eat and warm-up.

A beautiful day for skiing- lots of snow!

Blankets, coffee needed during cold

The air is frigid here in Portland. It looks like the cold weather is going to continue through the week.

Union Gospel Mission serves as a temporary overflow shelter during the cold weather. Typically, Union Gospel Mission doesn't offer temporary shelter. To live at Union Gospel Mission a person needs to be part of our addiction recovery community, LifeChange. But, when it gets this cold, the Mission is an overflow night shelter with around thirty homeless people sleeping on the dining hall floor.

We give the blankets to people in the morning, and we hand the blankets out all day, so we need donations of blankets and sleeping bags. Since people are sleeping on the floor donations of mats would be great.

It would also be great to have donations of coffee (caffinated is preferred, rather than decaf!) and oatmeal, because its an easy meal to fix in the morning.

If you or someone you know would like to donate blankets, coffee or anything they can be dropped off at the Mission at 15 NW Third Avenue in Portland, or call us at 503-274-4483.

The residents of the LifeChange recovery community are really making this happen, they are staying up night shifts to monitor the guests and really showing compassion to people in need.

You can also make a donation at our website: http://www.ugmportland.org/donate.html

Union Gospel Mission History Lessons

We've found a little treasure in re-arranging and sorting. We have a black bound book by Rev. Reuben Newsom who was Superintendent (Director) of the Mission for many years. He wrote the book in 1965. The book detailed the founding, purpose and ministry of Union Gospel Mission from its founding in 1927. He writes that Union Gospel Mission was organized in November of 1927, and a chapel was remodelled for use, the chapel was located at Northeast 3rd and Ankeny in Portland. Rev. Newsom wrote about the dedication of the chapel:

"On Sunday afternoon, January 1, 1928, crowded with Christians from many churches and denominations, the chapel was dedicated for the purpose of presenting Christ to defeated, homeless men. That evening the first Gospel service was held."

That was the beginning of Union Gospel Mission in Portland.

In 1937, the building at 15 NW Third Avenue became Union Gospel Mission. Here's a picture of some of the Mission's founding leaders in front of the building.

There are more interesting photos from Union Gospel Mission's early days on our web site at http://www.ugmportland.org/about.html

Union Gospel Mission is in the same building, and same location. In January, 2007, Union Gospel Mission opened the new LifeChange Center attached to the existing Mission.

Here is a picture of the LifeChange Center. This building houses the LifeChange recovery community. LifeChange helps men and women who were "defeated" or felt hopeless in their addiction and gives them an opportunity for a new life.

After writing about the first evening Gospel service at Union Gospel Mission, Rev. Newsom included this Bible passage:

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21.

Union Gospel Mission's thrift store

Happy 2008! When the New Year comes, many people think, out with the old and in with the new...maybe, since you received some nice new sweaters for Christmas you decide its time to donate some of your clothing.

The place to do it is Union Gospel Mission's thrift store. And if you're looking to upgrade your wardrobe or get a screaming deal on furniture, appliances, and just about anything else you can think of, its the ideal place to shop.

Now, like most treasures, its a little hard to find. Its located in Tigard at 11611 SW Pacific Hwy., across from the Tigard Cinemas. Its a little bit hidden on a longer driveway past a Teriyaki restaurant.

Not only will you get an awesome deal on whatever you buy, the revenue of the thrift store supports Union Gospel Mission's LifeChange addiction recovery program. But wait! There's more! The thrift store is run by residents in recovery top to bottom. The thrift store manager is a great guy named Steve Welch (that's Steve in the picture, hard at work answering phones at the store). Steve is a senior member in LifeChange, and he like other members in the recovery program, has held progressively responsible jobs at the thrift store or at the Mission working on homeless services.

The thrift store also picks up items for FREE in the greater Portland area. So, if you're upgrading to a new couch, or have other items in good condition to donate, call the thrift store at 503-639-6488 to schedule a pick up.

Here's a picture of the LifeChange team bringing in a donated futon/couch to the thrift store. As you can see, its a fairly large store with a great variety of items.

So- at the Union Gospel Mission thrift store you will get a great deal on whatever you buy, the money from your purchase will help people in addiction recovery, and the store is a place where people in recovery are learning marketable skills as they rebuild their lives and overcome addiction. Now, that's smart shopping.

More info. about the thrift store at http://www.ugmportland.org/thrift.html