August 2009
spokane’s union gospel mission • anna ogden hall • crisis shelter for women & children
classy rack thrift stores • ugm motors • tshimakain creek camp
v in g G r ace
Ser
Steve Viers stands at a stainless steel table in the
kitchen of the Union Gospel Mission, nimbly scraping
fresh oregano leaves from their stem. He wears black
pants, black shoes and a brown chef jacket indicating
his rank as kitchen supervisor. The ornately tattooed
word “Apricot” barely peeks out above his collar, and
a lightning-shaped scar divides his forehead. When
you talk to him, his right eye wanders a bit. At six-foot
and 258-solid pounds, his presence is authoritative,
but his demeanor is surprisingly gentle.
Steve oversees the preparation of five to six
Steve Viers,
former Mission resident
1 Union Gospel Mission Ministries Mission News
hundred meals a day and patiently works with a
revolving staff of Mission residents to accomplish that
goal. Hospitality to the homeless is an interesting
career choice for a man whose life until a few years
ago was characterized by violent hostility. Angry all
the time, the slightest provocation, mixed with a little
alcohol, usually led to a brutal fight.
At 18, Steve went to prison for beating a
man with a miniature baseball bat until his jaw was
pulverized. Five years and eight months later, he got
out, angrier than ever, and stayed angry for an entire
decade – barely escaping violent death twice, once
looking down into his own freshly dug grave. Steve
remembered thinking at the time, “Just do it and get
it over with.” Life had become a burden.
“My worst day today is better than my best day
back then,” said Steve. “It was all about riding dirt bikes
and having cars and women and drugs. It’s not about
that anymore. I don’t have everything in the world, but
I’ve got everything I need. I’ve got my sanity. I’ve got my
life, my ministries, my children. I’ve got God in my life
(
– all these things didn’t matter to me before.”
)
Hospitality to th
e homeless – an
interesting caree
r choice for a ma
whose life until a n
few years ago wa
characterized by s
violent hostility.
What matters today is that he is able to extend
the grace he has received. “The kitchen is a meeting
area. It’s a place where people open up. It’s a place
where they congregate and talk; so it’s cool to be able
to use that to break down barriers with people you
normally wouldn’t have anything in common with. . . a
lot of these guys will never talk to anybody, but I’ll start
working with them, and they see that I genuinely care,
that I want to help, that I’m willing to come alongside
them . . . and they’ll really open up.”
continued on page 2 . . .
 heart to heart
No Greater Joy
The Apostle John once said that there was no greater joy
for him than seeing his children walking in the truth. I can
relate to that. For me, there is no greater joy than seeing
a man or woman coming through our doors whose life
has been totally transformed. The Mission does not exist
solely to provide for people’s basic needs. We exist for the
purpose of helping men, women and youth understand
who created them, their purpose in life, and how they can
become God-dependent, contributing members of society.
Over the years, the ministry has found creative
ways to address the job readiness implicit in that goal.
In 2003, we opened a thrift store with a safe, healing
environment where our residents could learn basic retail skills. In 2005, UGM Motors and God’s Garage were
opened to teach men and women with an aptitude for automotive work. Most recently, it was brought to my
attention that we could make better use of a tremendous resource we already have. Over 180,000 meals come
out of our kitchen each year. We have a fully-equipped commercial kitchen, a chef, and the space to provide
culinary training; so that’s what we’re going to do. At the same time, we’ll be developing relationships with
local chefs and restaurants to find internships and entry-level jobs for our graduates.
Of course, our emphasis isn’t solely on job skills. It is also about building the character that makes a
good employee: punctuality, integrity, teachability and being a team player. Steve, featured on our cover,
came to the Mission with a culinary background, but he needed to learn to control his anger and deal with his
addiction before he could be trusted to run a kitchen. He’s done all that and more, and now his passion is to
help other men move forward on the road he has walked.
Truly, it is my great joy to watch Steve teach another man how to slice tomatoes or make a good soup
and to know that he has much more than lunch on his mind.
Serving together,
(
Phil Altmeyer
Executive Director
. . . continued from page 1
Steve moves to the back dock where the
Did You Know?
Men who leave the Mission are often fighting
truck is being unloaded. Two 500-pound bins of
an uphill battle to find permanent, living-wage
watermelons and 90 dozen eggs have been donated
by the Safeway warehouse. Steve hefts one of the employment. Poor work records, felony convictions,
and a lack of education or experience create
huge melons and points out the bee sting marks on
huge roadblocks. As part of the Mission’s focus
its rind. It’s heavy for its size, sounds hollow when
to help men return to society as God-dependent,
thumped: “This should be a good one, guys.” Knife in contributing members, the scope of the kitchen is
hand, he cuts bright red, dripping slices and passes expanding to include a teaching kitchen, classes
them around – extending the grace he has received. and apprenticeships. Director of Food Services, Kris
James, who was educated at the Culinary Institute
For more of Steve’s life story of America, along with Kitchen Supervisor, Steve
visit our website: Viers, and his staff – Karen Harris and Hannah
Fretheim – will train men for entry-level positions in
www.ugmspokane.org
the culinary field, one of the few career paths still
wide open to men with a criminal record or history
of drug addiction.
2 Union Gospel Mission Ministries Mission News
Changed lives
Road to a Dream
When Chris McNeil was sleeping under an abandoned gazebo, the road to his dream of becoming a commercial truck
driver like his dad seemed impossibly long. Now that he has realized that dream, he sees it as a series of small steps.
Walked through the east door of the Union Gospel Mission
Joined the program Chris McNeil, former Mission resident
Got sober and healthy
Regained confidence through hard work and
the satisfaction of a job well done
Paid $200 fine to get his driver’s license back
Tested for commercial driver’s license
Graduated from the Mission’s recovery program
Signed up for trucking school
The distance Chris traveled from that gazebo
to the Mission’s east door was only a few blocks, but
the distance between the man Chris was in April 2006
when he made that trip and the man he has become is
immeasurable. “I was a broken man – a real bad alcoholic
– wondering where I was gonna sleep from night to night.
I didn’t have anything. I looked up and said, ‘God, what
am I gonna do?’ I was all sucked in. I just felt terrible. I
needed some help.”
When Chris came to the Mission, the first person
he met was “Diesel” – a large, burly man in a leather second week I was here. I went out and drank, but I
vest with a bandana tied around his head and a drooping admitted that I drank and that was hard for me to do. So
mustache. Not the sort of man you find easy to approach. my 30-day evaluation period started over.” After that,
But Diesel, Chris said, immediately approached him, Chris said, “It was game on.”
welcomed him, and assured him that there was hope. In his matter-of-fact way, Chris attributed his
“My alcoholism didn’t go away. I relapsed the transformation to putting his faith in the Lord, getting
his health back, working through some issues with the
man he refers to as his “second dad,” Counselor Doug
Munday, and trusting the camaraderie he found within the
community. Chris was part of the Mission’s Hoopfest team.
“I enjoyed running up and down the basketball court
with Randy.” He also worked on a nearby ranch, driving
fence posts with several other men from the program. He
remembers the hard work fondly – almost as another kind
of therapy. Chris graduated from the Mission’s recovery
program last June, but he still counts many of the staff
and former residents among his best friends.
Chris’ goal setting isn’t limited to his career. He
uses the same step-by-step mentality with regard to
restoring relationships. “I got Mom and Dad back, and
then I got my brothers and my sisters back. I went around
apologizing to them.” Chris has not, however, seen his
18-year-old twin daughters since they were six. “That’s my
next step. Everything’s a process. It all takes time.”
In the meantime, Chris is enjoying the fruit of his
hard work: “I love the challenge. I get to see God’s country
– I mean, every bit of it – and I love the independence.”
3 Union Gospel Mission Ministries Mission News
 WHAT’S HAPPENING GET INVOLVED
MINISTRY NEEDS
F ra n k Giv e s B ac k
Frank Woods, a recent graduate from the Men’s
Mission Trip Women’s Needs:
Underwear– all sizes,
especially sizes 5 & 7
recovery program, has found a very practical Rather than head off to Mexico or Seattle’s skid row, the youth Bras – sizes 30-34 and
way to give back. Former owner of an auto body group from New Life Church in Canby, Oregon came up to the Union 40 & up
shop, Frank does maintenance and body work Gospel Mission for a week of service, relationship-building, and Socks
on the Mission’s vehicles. On the creative side, Diapers – sizes 5 & 6
increased understanding of a homeless population. One member
he also turned a riding lawn mower into a much- Pull-ups
needed snow plow last winter and built the trailer of the group, Nathan, 12, said his desire to help came from seeing
Sunscreen lotion –
pictured here from scraps and leftovers. his own family torn apart by alcohol and drugs: “When I see other
infants, children, & adults
people hurt, it makes me hurt.” Becca, 18, a student leader, said
Women’s & children’s
their youth pastor, Ryan Brown, has really passed on his passion pajamas – all sizes
for broken people and “seeing ministry outside the four walls of
the church.” The students worked and ate alongside the Mission Men’s Needs:
residents for a week – a memorable one on both sides. Razors
Cafe Yellow Athletic shoes
Hou se If your youth group is interested in serving at the Socks
The children at Anna Ogden Hall put on a luncheon
Mission, please call Laurie Willson at 509-535-8510. Belts
Shampoo & conditioner
– complete with live musical entertainment – to
Deodorant
raise money for fun summer activities. It was a
Backpacks
great success, and they’ve been busy over the past
month enjoying the fruit of their labors – trips to
Wild Waters, Cat Tales and Silverwood, along with Food:
new books and a comfy rug for story time. Thanks to Sugar
everyone who contributed. Sliced cheese
Tuna
Lunch meat
Bacon
Napkins
Camp Going Full Throttle Pancake syrup
Camp Director Dennis Roach wanted to pass along
that kids and staff alike are having a great time at
Tshimakain Creek Camp. In addition to canoeing,
shooting on the archery range, swimming, fishing
Thank you!
Donations can be dropped off at
Mission residents and youth got a chance to cool off with a little the Mission, 1224 E Trent, Spokane
and challenging themselves on the ropes course, Daily from 7 am to 6 pm
slip-and-slide action.
they are building lifelong relationships and learning
what it means to walk with God. Dennis shared one
story about a teen who was able to get up in front of • Upcoming Events •
a group of younger kids and explain his faith in a way important dates for all the ministries A Publication of
that absolutely captivated his audience. Your gifts to August 11 • Volunteer Orientation, 6 pm at UGM
Tshimakain Creek serve a unique two-fold purpose:
1) to give kids who could not otherwise afford it a August 20 • Tshimakain Creek Camp Open House, 10 am – 3 pm
great week in God’s creation; and 2) to give teens August 25 • Volunteer Orientation, 6 pm at AOH
the opportunity to minister. It’s not too late to 1224 E Trent Ave Spokane, WA 99202
get involved. Come to the Camp Open House on September 1 • Volunteer Orientation, 6 pm at UGM PO Box 4066 Spokane, WA 99220
August 20 (call 535-8510 to reserve a spot) or September 21 – Women’s Auxiliary Meeting, 1-2:30 pm at UGM 509-535-8510
designate a gift today. www.ugmspokane.org
4 Union Gospel Mission Ministries Mission News 5 Union Gospel Mission Ministries Mission News
 MEMORIALS THAT LIVE ON
Given to Union Gospel Mission Ministries June 6, 2009 to July 13, 2009
In Memory Of: The Gift Of:
Gladys Anderson: Dorothy Morse
Elmer Armstrong: Judy Francis
Stuart & Marion Benshoof: Carol &
Jaime Haskell-Byron
Robert Berry: Richard & Terry Itami
Gary Bird: Christine Hobbs
Tom Blossom: Dorothy Morse,
Robert & Lois Strader
Donna Bodenman: Don Bodenman
Del Bren: Bill & Anita Wann, Ted
& Lavonne Bren, Jacob & Gladys
Krauss, Beverly Fishel, Del & Bobbi
Raro, Dorothy Cook, Frank &
Myrna Rehn, Inland Empire Retired
Teamsters, Joyce Bren
Esther Caesar: Mr. & Mrs. Herschel
Gustafson, Tom & Veronica
Bergeron, David & Audrey Nemitz,
Anne Johnson, Audrey Vanke
Clarence Chafin: Dolly Chafin
Ken Colling: Shirley Colling
Sylvia Crane: Dave & Becky Wall
Iva Danelo: Jack & Charlotte
Ferrante
Betty Ellsworth: Donald Ellsworth
Fissler family: Mickel Fissler
Masel Goodlake: Georgia
Underdahl
R.J. “Speedy” Gunsaulis: Clarence
& Barbara Bennett
James Harris: Georgia Underdahl
Beverly Herman: Georgia
Underdahl
Allen Hibbard: Martha Hibbard &
family
Buzz Irvin: Evelyn Irvin, Commodity
Brokerage, Inc.
Ramona Jung: Georgia Underdahl
Albert & Anne Kiefer: Patricia
Severud
Margret Mazurek: Richard & Terry
Itami
Lea McGrath: Elaine Botts
Bob McHoes: Laura McHoes
Stanley McLean: Jack & Dixie
Reitmeier
6 Union Gospel Mission Ministries Mission News
Lois McMillan: Richard & Margaret
Hanson, Dennis & Karen Jessup,
Gayle & Gaynel Gering, Stan &
Marcine Kravitz
Mary Meyer: Bruce & Rayna Lee
Walker
Dr. Walt Michaelis: Victor & Cathy
Bobb
Therole Miller: Grace Bible Church
of Diamond Lake
Mary Newbern: Carmen, Leila,
Margaret Ann, & Aaron
Esther Olson: Lola Olson
Jim Pipkin: William Ehlenfeldt
Steve Pontius: Robert & Marilyn
Pontius
Jim & Ida Jane Potesky: John &
Joann Simmons, Jeffrey & Shelly
Potesky
Earl Poutre: Rose Poutre
Ed R.: Ethel Johnson
Winnie Richards: Robert Richards
Ernie Sackman: Opal Buckley &
family
Norm Scheer: Darrell & Marilyn
Bafus
Katherine Shemah: Tresa & Marv
Iverson
Thelma Shulenbarger: David &
Audrey Nemitz
Dennis Smith: Thomas Smith
Patricia Stone: Jean Flechel
Rev. Paul Swannack, Sr: Lloyd &
Sheryl Johnson
Del Tucker: Spokane County USBC,
Ronald Port
Bertha Tuttle: John Tuttle
Bud VanSickle: Nathan & Joanne
Marks
Opal Wilmot: Durand & Roberta
Cox
Rick Wood: Robert McKinnis,
Audrey McKinnis, Virginia Wood, Ed
Wood
In Honor of: The Gift Of:
Atlas Tree Service: Scammell
family
Phyllis Hood: Frank & Betty Fullmer
Dorothy Morse: Dawn Cromwell
Doris Niemeyer: Wayne & Evelyn
Russell
Peterson family (Chewelah): Cathy
Dunn
Andrea Roe: Jim Roe
E.B. Siems: William Siems
Robbin Tisdale: Judy & Tammy
Tisdale
Rev. Teddy Turner: S. Bayyuk
Maria White: Jan Scarcello
Marcy Bautista: Cynthia Shockey
Gus Haas: Pauline Haas
Lisa Ladyman: Harold Ladyman
Dale McGruder: Melinda Howard
Isabel Parish: Rev. Harold Parish
Giving a
Memorial
If you would like to give a
gift in honor or memory of a
loved one, please include the
following information with
your gift:
• Name of person being
remembered
• Name of gift giver
• Current address and name of
honoree’s family to notify
them of the gift.
Please also remember to
indicate whether the gift is
a memorial (deceased) or in
honor of (living).
Thank you for remembering
others through your memorials.