This year we are partnering with Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission’s men’s shelter, located right in Pioneer Square, and Hope Place, a women’s shelter in south Seattle. These shelters have a deep gospel-based mission, and have served thousands of people in the city of Seattle, including many members of our own church.
"The shelters have needs, and we as a congregation have resources."
We’re partnering with these shelters as a way to serve the poor through an organization that already does it very well. We also want to give back to an organization that has served our city of Seattle so well, and because Jesus has commanded us to not keep the grace he’s given us to ourselves.
Homelessness and Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission
Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission was born of necessity in 1932 during the Great Depression, when hundreds of people were going hungry and homeless in Seattle. Since then, it has been serving Seattle’s homeless, marginalized, and disenfranchised with the mission to serve, rescue, and transform those in greatest need through the grace of Jesus Christ. Last night over 8,000 people in King County were homeless, including 3,000 women and children. Over the course of a year, 27,000 people in King County are homeless. The fastest-growing group among local homeless is families, typically a young mother with small children. UGM operates multiple programs in Seattle, serving residents in a variety of ways, from basic needs to addiction recovery to job-skills training. Also, on any given Sunday, between 50 to 75 men, women, and children from UGM attend the Downtown Seattle campus services, and 25 are currently going through the Doctrine class to become members of Mars Hill Church. Several Community Groups meet at UGM locations. Hope Place provides women with the skills they need to become active members of society and recover from addiction and sexual abuse and point them to Christ. About 90 percent of the women at Hope Place are victims of domestic violence. For children, Hope Place means specialized care, counseling, meals they can count on, and a safe place to sleep.
How you can help
This isn’t a lip-service, throw-out-some-names kind of partnership either. The shelters have needs, and we as a congregation have resources. Specifically, we want to give them 10,000 pairs of tube socks, 10,000 diapers (sizes 3, 4, or 5) and 10,000 travel-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Prayerfully consider what and how much you and your family or Community Group will donate this year. Buy a pack of socks and pray for the man who’s been living on the streets for the last year. Encourage your son or daughter to buy a pack of diapers and pray for the young mother and the child she’s raising who will use them. Buy some shampoo and conditioner and pray for the kid who just ran away from an abusive home. Buy some goods this month, and then buy another round next month. You can either buy them online and ship them to our administrative offices or bring them to your campus. We’ll be collecting donations at Qwest Field on Easter, too.
