Charity helps the destitute find the light – Yahoo News

Nov. 21SPOKANE Miranda Newell, 36, was in the darkest moment of her life when she sought help from Union Gospel Mission.

Fresh from completing the hard work of getting sober in an inpatient program, she returned to her home in northern Idaho, hoping her family life would be happier and more functional.

Instead she found a difficult relationship with her boyfriend even harder.

"I didn't have anything to numb my feelings," Newell said. "I had to take a clear look at my life. I was so depressed."

She opened up to a friend, who suggested UGM.

"I didn't have anything no car, no job, no money, no housing other than my boyfriend's house," she said.

That was a little more than two years ago. With the backing of numerous services from UGM, including almost two years in a residency program the not-for-profit group operates for women in Coeur d'Alene, Newell is pursuing a career in health care as a certified nursing assistant.

The pay from her job at Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene is moving her closer to financial independence, although she's still living in a UGM apartment complex for graduates of its programs. She and the other residents pay a fee rather than rent so they can save money to afford housing on their own.

While the type of program Newell completed is not planned for the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, UGM officials are excited about the progress they are making on opening a high-barrier emergency overnight shelter for men, women and children in the community.

The Lewiston shelter services will help individuals like Newell navigate out of dead ends and reduce the number of homeless individuals living on the streets, said Phil Altmeyer, executive director of ministries at UGM in Spokane.

At this stage, UGM expects that 70 of the beds in the shelter will be for women and children and another 30 will be for men at 419 Snake River Ave. in Lewiston, at the same site as its thrift store, he said.

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The organization hasn't yet decided when it will debut.

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Altmeyer spoke last week at UGM's administrative offices adjacent to its Men's Shelter and Recovery Center at 1224 E. Trent Ave. in Spokane.

At midday, it was a busy hub of activity.

Recipients of help from the organization were doing chores such as cleaning windows, preparing dinner for that night and washing dishes.

Medical providers at a clinic were seeing patients, a service not likely to be offered in Lewiston because of different regulations in Idaho.

Dozens of men were sitting at tables in a day room to get respite from the cold. At least one appeared to have fallen asleep with his head on the table. An employee was staffing a room where clothing is distributed.

Other parts of the facility were quiet, including a chapel, where more than 40 Spokane-area religious groups rotate through providing daily services that residents of the shelter are required to attend. The beds in a dormitory-style sleeping area were empty during the day.

UGM is still figuring out what parts of its model will work in Lewiston, drawing on 70 years of experience that began when it opened at a different location close to what is now Riverfront Park in Spokane.

In 1951, the district, known as skid row, was where a collection of alcoholic men, generally in their 60s, would congregate. Many of them had stumbled out of train cars stopping at a nearby depot, said Linda Ziehnert, strategic partnerships and events coordinator at UGM in Spokane.

A woman used to walk in the area and began feeding the men she saw on her outings. UGM grew from the realization that a more comprehensive approach was required.

In the decades that have passed, the situation has grown even more complicated. Now, the majority of men UGM helps are in their mid-30s instead of being around retirement age. They usually are battling multiple addictions.

Still, Ziehnert said, she's witnessed countless instances where clarity has replaced addiction, allowing individuals' personalities to emerge.

The organization has extended its reach to include women who are without safe places to stay for reasons that include leaving abusive relationships and being recently released from prison.

In Lewiston, the emergency overnight shelter for men, women and children will be on one site and the residents will be separated by gender.

Single men and single women will live in dormitory-style rooms where they can keep their possessions. Moms with children will be assigned their own living spaces.

Everyone who remains drug- and alcohol-free, attends daily church services, completes daily chores and follows the shelter's rules will be allowed to stay as long as they are making progress toward goals such as landing jobs, Altmeyer said.

The rules include prohibitions against being threats to others and stealing. Second chances are offered, but with accountability, he said.

"We want to extend grace and forgiveness, but people have to take responsibility for their actions in that process," Altmeyer said.

UGM's standards are part of what enables it to help homeless individuals and be a good neighbor, he said.

While the Trent Avenue location was largely industrial when UGM opened, more upscale development has followed, including a medical office complex that's across the street, Altmeyer said.

For Newell, the structure UGM offered played a key role in her identifying a different direction for her life after years of chaos.

Even more important was the kindness everyone demonstrated toward her at a time she believed she had little value. That made her comfortable with the religious requirements of the organization even though she didn't become a Christian until she was a program participant.

UGM employees recognized and responded to her needs from her earliest interactions with them.

After she completed an interview that's part of the application process for the program she was accepted into, staff told Newell she would likely be placed in a few weeks. When Newell told them her need was immediate, the wait was reduced to a few days.

The women in her program were encouraged to pursue jobs that meshed with their talents and what they enjoyed doing.

UGM could offer that because the organization has an extensive network of contacts at employers open to hiring participants in UGM programs, Newell said.

Part of what she finds fulfilling about her job is that she supports patients encountering challenges she has faced and conquered, so she can give them hope they might be able to do the same.

She is being transferred from medical nephrology to behavioral health at her request because she believes she'll understand the struggles of the patients.

"(UGM) helped me realize I could use my past for good," she said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

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Charity helps the destitute find the light - Yahoo News