Every single person who walks through our doors has a story. While that story is different from person to person, we often see addictions as one of the barriers to wellness. We desire to help each individual break free from those addictions and walk in the freedom that Jesus has for them. While UGM offers […]
The Board of Directors of UGM has selected Dan Clem as the Executive Director. Salem’s Union Gospel Mission serves the needs of the homeless with shelter, meals, recovery, transitional housing and services, employment, education, and hope throughout the mid-Willamette valley. Clem will lead this non-profit organization with six facilities in the Salem-Keizer area, including the […]
Carrie had managed to raise four children during a 20-year addiction to prescription opiates. However, just six months on meth led to “the end of my life as I knew it.” Five years ago, Carrie had finally ended her opiate addiction… then she was introduced to meth. The drug quickly took over her life. “I […]
Every woman who participates in the New Life Fellowship program at Simonka Place engages in the Learning Center during their time in the program. As a Learning Center Instructor, I help women brush up on math, writing, and computers skills or gain a GED so they may be prepared to get a job or go […]
When he was high on methamphetamine, Mike thought he was Superman. “I was unstoppable. Nobody could touch me.” But he eventually realized, “I was just a broken person.” Mike’s brokenness began at age 18 when his mother passed away. “My whole world collapsed,” he recalls. “That’s when I started plummeting into the downward spiral of […]
“Clingy,” insecure and desperate for acceptance as a teenager, Lesley found the confidence she craved in drugs and alcohol. But the highs didn’t last. “They gave me wings but took away my sky,” she says. During the next 14 years, Lesley says, “My best friend took me in, but I still wanted to do drugs […]
(From left to right: New Life Fellowship recovery graduate, Jennifer, poses with Simonka Place’s New Life Fellowship Program Manager Katrina Schissler during the New Life Fellowship graduation.) Last week I opened the Biblical Life Management class with a simple question. “What brought you to the Mission?” As each woman shared her story, it became clear that their […]
Angelina arrived at Simonka Place for Women and Children with “a lot of baggage” though she only had the clothes on her back. Abused as a child, Angelina went on to have five sons in a series of unsuccessful relationships. A warrant was issued for her arrest over a custody issue. For a time, Angelina […]
It took Eric 30 years to work his way up in the restaurant business…and just one unfortunate accident to end his cooking career and leave him homeless. “About three years ago I broke my ankle pretty badly. It took three surgeries and three months to put it back together,” Eric remembers. “I wasn’t able to […]
New Life Fellowship Program Manager Danial Ficek (right) pictured with past UGM client Deryk (left). ‘Clients like Deryk are the reason I keep going.’ -Danial These guys never had a chance. This thought kept cycling through my mind as I listened to stories of heartbreak and tragedy that brought each man through the doors of […]