Union Rescue Mission

They told me four times they would come pick up my donation. Left me waiting and didn’t show up. I would never donate to them again.

I’m a little more about it all for everything I have saw. I have never been so busy with work and school is over now if only you can get the job done with the family and friends who were there to see if you don’t have a great time

I love working at Urm Kicthen I great co worker and a great boss, this is were I got my sobriety. Amen. Lloydskannal.

Can not even put into words, how much I love and support this mission and everything they are about. I have been volunteering weekly since Sept. 2014. I look forward to going there every week. God bless the Mission.

You can totally feel the love of God in this place. Yeah it’s located in skid row and there’s a lot of people on the down and out, but Jesus is there. This is an awesome place.

People who know me know how I feel about this place and the work they do. Andy Bales, their CEO is the most amazing man I have ever met. Folks that know Andy would understand my statement.
I have been involved with these folks in one way or another as a supporter since 2009.
When it comes to people helping people these folks are at the top of any list.

I definitely recommend volunteering here at least once in your life. I organized a group of us from work to come here to use our paid volunteer day.
It is a great experience working here for a half a day serving food to the residents of the Union Rescue Mission and also those in need in our community. I worked side-​by-​side with one of the residents and got to know him while chatting with him.
This was my second time serving and it still is an eye opening experience to poverty in Los Angeles. First time was at the Midnight Mission on my own.
You’ll get to interact with so many different people you probably will never get to meet in your day-​to-​day lives. After serving, I definitely feel more appreciation for all that I have and things that many of us seem to take for granted.

I stayed in the women’s dorm for roughly a month and the experience was ok despite the jerry springer drama amongst some of the women having problems with others over petty stuff. This place is full of ratchets thinking they look good when they look a hot mess, lol. Anyway one particular guard named Valerie aka «top flight» is very literal about the job she can probably tell who farted in their sleep at 3am she’s in need of some «baby don’t be bald» on that head of hers looking like wood woodpecker had a field day plucking the hell out of her scalp. The others guards are cool as hell, you won’t encounter problems if you obey the rules there. I’m grateful for the opportunity of staying when I needed it but now I’m glad I’m away from skid row and into my apartment, thanks for reading and have a great day ;)

This is a great Christ-​centered mission. They offer programs to help people get clean and off the streets. They also serve three rotations of meals through out the day. It is a blessing to be in the mission and can help set someone up for success in the future. It is also a great place to serve. You must be 14 or older to work in the kitchen. It is fun to hand out meals and help prep in the back. The kitchen staff are great to work with. If you want to volunteer and spend the night, you can sleep in tents on the roof. It is safe and secure and fun.

Feeding the homeless. the church I attend feed the homeless every last Sat .of the mo. I spent about 5
the parking lot of union rescue mission along with 12 others volunteers passing out a hot meal, ham, mashed potatoes, peas, bread, nutrition energy bars, soda, water, plus personal hygiene to over 300 less fortunate people in skid row, which is not a drop in the bucket I felt so good that whole day,

Union Rescue Mission does a great job helping mothers and their children in their Hope Gardens Family Center.
I have experienced first hand all the great efforts they make to help them. They not only give them a place to stay but also enroll them in financial classes, parenting classes. To help them get back on their feet.
Most of the ladies that graduate the program never return back to the program, they come back to share their stories and help motivate other ladies who are currently in the program, to give them hope and keep them motivated. I have never experienced homelessness but yet I feel moved and inspired by their stories.
You can find some of their stories on YouTube, URM Stories of skid row.
I am glad I was able to witness first hand their awesome work.
You can help them also by donating items to them. Personal hygiene items are in high demand.
I do not work for URM, I am a security contractor for their Hope Gardens Facility.
Call them, ask for a tour. You will be moved and you are going to want to be involved.

Did volunteer dental work here for the homeless through USC. Great Organization. Dr. Kathy is very caring, as well as the staff. They deserve all the donations and funding they get. They should get more. Not many places like it in LA county.

I worked in the dental clinic here when I was a student at USC. The work they do here is truly remarkable. The people who receive help at the URM change their whole life course. It’s not just about getting them a job or getting them counseling. It combines taking care of their bodies minds and souls.

I volunteered here a little over a week ago and thought it was a memorable experience!
Founded in 1891, Union Rescue Mission is one of the largest private homeless shelters in the United States and the oldest in Los Angeles. It is located in downtown Los Angeles’s skid row and provides emergency and long-​term services including food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling, and job training.
Before we got there, we were kinda freaking out because we were stuck in traffic. We were supposed to go to the orientation at 10:30. Luckily, Erin (the coordinator) was totally chill about it when we called her so we didn’t have to do the orientation. We submitted the volunteer forms and went straight to work.
We were there from 11am-​1pm. There weren’t that many volunteers that day so we had some options. I chose to serve food on the line. There was some downtime in the beginning so we cleaned tables. Afterwards, we handed out cookies for a bit. Every half hour you would serve different groups of people. I was able to serve mothers and children. I was racking up salads like crazy. At that point I didn’t even have a chance to look up because the lines got really long.
Parking isn’t that bad. The structure was full so they led us to the lot that was right next to Union Rescue Mission. They lock up the gates when you leave the car. So if you want to go back to your car, you have to call security at the Union Rescue Mission to have the gates opened.
Overall, I enjoyed my time volunteering here from beginning to end. Everyone was very friendly and it was very organized. It was a great experience and it feels great to help people in need. I will come back here to volunteer again soon!

I went there and filled out paperwork. I volunteered on August 31^st. Then I told them I will come back and they told me oh your name is not on the system. Wow. That’s the thanks I get for volunteering.

Went here with my USC fraternity, Zeta Phi Rho and participated in a dinner making event.
The area was about what you’d expect from the Skid Rho area with heavy police patrolage in the back to give you some sense of safety. The parking is in an underground garage that seems safe and the interior of the mission is very safe and clean by my analysis.
My group, around 20 people, were the majority of the people in the kitchen, apart from a few senior people. We partook in major moldy bread throwaway, which was very disgusting but necessary. Others chopped hundreds of potatoes, served on the frontline, or did other sorting work. Eventually everyone got to make ham and cheese sandwiches.
It definitely is rewarding to make food for the homeless and try and help out with the food distribution effort. You learn a lot about how these missions run on the generosity of others and there’s a lot of work to do in the community.
If you want to do some good and gain some perspective on life, I’d recommend Union Rescue Mission as place to help out.
Also a speaker from URM came to USC to speak for one of our philanthropy events and it was quite touching and motivating so kudos to them for their hard and invaluable work!

I came here to volunteer twice, and I absolutely testify that on both occasions, I had great experiences here. I came here with a group of people, ready to volunteer at the early hours in the morning. Helping out for the breakfast shift at 6am in the morning was fun. We got a chance to put our food preparation skills to a test. From chopping up veggies to making ham sandwiches, we had a blast! :)

I signed up through MeetUp to volunteer at the URM. I showed up at 5:30am to help with the breakfast shift but noticed throughout the 4 hours I was there cutting green beans (yes, literally, 4 hours of cutting green beans. Standing Up. With only one 30 min break) that the URM wasn’t serving breakfast, which was what I was hoping to do. Instead, I was in the kitchen along with 10 other volunteers prepping food for lunch. The 4 hours of cutting and slicing green beans (I never want to eat a green bean again) wasn’t so bad because you’re there with others chatting and making new friends. Also, the regular staff and the chef were happy to be there and very friendly. It’s good to know that there are still people in LA who care about those less fortunate than us who live in our city. If you want to help the world, why not start with some place close to home…

Just over a week ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Union Rescue Mission. It left me feeling motivated to help and encouraged by the heart & effort of those seeking assistance and those volunteering their time and energy.
One of the sayings at URM is «Opportunities for hope, healing, and change — for you and those you serve.» I have to admit the message rings true as this unbelievably large organization maintains its focus of embracing people experiencing homelessness with compassion, dignity, humility, and respect.
This person-​first approach is accomplished through several free services offered to participants. Just a few of them are:
— Pepperdine Mental Health Clinic (individual, group, & marriage counseling)
— UCLA Health Clinic (over 6,000 patient visits last year)
— Pepperdine Legal Aid Clinic (helping over 1,000 a year)
— USC Dental Clinic (up to 6 patients at a time)
— LAUSD Learning Center (computer, job skills, and other training)
— Food Service (3,000 meals a day)
— Shelter (AVERAGE 924 people /​night including 64 families)
You can volunteer. You can help. You can be helped. Whether you are an individual, a small group, or a large organization there are several ways to volunteer … 7 days a week … 6am to 8pm. Visit the website for more information or call. Some easy opportunities to help include:
— Food Service
— General Cleaning
— Office /​Administrative
— Teaching /​Tutoring
— Special Events (Seasonal)
Is this a review or an appeal for help? It’s both. Maybe Unilocal can organize an Elite event to help out. Our we just create our own UYE to do so. All it takes is a few of us to make a big difference. Message me.

Volunteered here on Thursday (thanks Mai!) for Project Homeless Connect. As I walked through the building to the sign-​in table I looked around — clean, but definitely spartan. Almost dorm (or maybe prison?) style. There were plenty of people laying around in the medical area, presumably waiting to be seen and even more in front of a big television in what looked to be a lobby. Outside there were homeless hanging out and several times I saw a guy take to the corner railings and do push-​ups. The whole outside smelled like urine, I just can’t even imagine my life in that world and I feel that is part of the reason it’s so necessary to help out. These people are THERE and they need help.
I got my t-​shirt identifying me as a volunteer and for the first forty-​five minutes helped escort various people to the different booths that had been set up along the street — here folks could get an ID, get some medical attention, get bus tokens and even free books. There was a very long line for the lunch bag of a hot dog, some chips and OJ. I gave mine away.
As it turned out we had many more escorts (very heartening) and some folks didn’t need/​want help so I set out to find somewhere else to help out. I landed at the coffee station, which was the first stop for the homeless before they signed in to get tickets for food, etc. They were letting five in at a time from a very long line down 5^th St. People were able to get some coffee and then head on to the next line before they got to the service booths — «organized chaos», as one volunteer put it.
What really got me where the other guys who were helping out with me. They were both guys who actually lived at the mission and were going through «the program.» I talked with them each a bit about their lives and was just struck at the survival instinct of a human and again how important it is that we help each other. Here were two guys on either side of me, living in 12-​person bunk bed rooms and stashing away food and goodies given out because they didn’t even have enough. They went to meetings, had a chaplain who was basically their boss and were waiting for the opportunity to get far enough along in the program to go out and get a job.
From some of their words I remembered that misfortunes can happen to anyone at any time and you are only a few steps away from a completely different way of life. I even learned you have to pay now to get a GED. These guys were surviving though and looking to the future, they were looking to have a future. And what has stayed with me as I watched person after person come get coffee was this — they are pretty lucky themselves right now. Now that’s sad.
I walked away from the tent after all the coffee had been served and heard «thank you» and «God bless» so many times it made me embarrassed. So now I say «thank you» to all those that passed through that line on Thursday.
Thank you for reminding me (and for being so cool.)
I am one lucky chick.