Homeless Services: dignity and respect
Pete is the Homeless Services Coordinator for the downtown Mission. Our downtown location primarily provides meals for people who are chronically homeless or who live locally in low-income or transitional housing. “Not all of our guests are homeless, some are just low-income or working folks that fall short of money between paychecks,” says Pete.
Downtown services consist of chapel service and dinner four nights a week, sack lunches and breakfast. Clothing service Tuesday thru Friday and food boxes and showers on Friday. Resource referral for shelter, housing, and addiction recovery is offered five days a week.
For over 90 years UGM has been providing life essentials, such as food and clothing to our neighbors in need. Originally started by the faith community in the early 1920s, they would serve meals and share bible tracts with people hopping trains to move to the west coast in search of a better life.
“I love working with our folks downtown, when they come for food, clothing or a shower they are able to gain a little dignity and respect and their faces just light up,”
Serving meals helps build trust and relationships with people on the streets. Trust allows us to guide or coach them to get services that can help their situation or ultimately get them off the streets. “Our LifeChange residents take time to talk with and pray for our guests,” said Pete. “a lot of our residents come from the streets so they can easily relate to our homeless guests.”
As an extension of our downtown services, in 2016, Union Gospel Mission launched its Search + Rescue outreach. Five nights per week, the Search + Rescue van goes to homeless camps in the greater Portland area to provide basics, such as food, coffee, socks, and hygiene items. Search + Rescue rekindles hope by providing resources, consistent weekly contact, and prayer to people outside of the downtown hub.
Addiction is one of the biggest challenges facing the people on the streets. Addiction complicates the process of getting into stable housing from homelessness. Helping people get free from addiction requires trust, compassion and patience. “I love working with our folks downtown, when they come for food, clothing or a shower they are able to gain a little dignity and respect and their faces just light up,” says Pete.
We are all made in the likeness of God. UGM believes that every person has value and deserves dignity. Union Gospel Mission provides more than 190,000 meals a year to the homeless and people in need. In addition to basic needs UGM is home to LifeChange, a Christ-centered recovery program where residents live and work in a community of people committed to transforming their lives and breaking the grip of addiction. LifeChange consists of counseling, work therapy, discipleship and transitional after care, at no cost to the resident.
If you know of someone battling addiction or homelessness and they have had enough and are interested in a LifeChange, then contact our Intake Coordinator at mensintake@ugmportland.org or 503-274-4483.