Landmark: Union Gospel Mission

Last week MSG150 passed by the Union Gospel Mission's Women and Children's Shelter between Fu-Lin (lunch #19) and Unicorn Crepes (lunch #20). The International District has given us so much that we figured it was time to give a little back. At Micheal's suggestion, we signed up to serve lunch yesterday at the shelter. All it took was a phone call. They were very flexible with scheduling and allowed up to five people to volunteer for the meal. They were glad for the help, but I suspect they need more help at dinner (from about 4pm to 6pm). They served lunch to about 45 women and young children but have more than 60 for dinner with kids out of school. Everyone fed at this location is in a residency program at the shelter. They do open meals at the men's shelter over on 2nd Ave. Ext.

After we checked in with the office upstairs, the cook, Kathy, got us scrubbed, netted (hair), and gloved and showed us our stations. Michael and I would be dishing out the food. Adam, Jeff, and Rob would be delivering. Lunch started promptly at noon. As people arrived, Kathy told them to take a seat as they were being waited upon today. It appeared that this was not a common occurrence, and the women really enjoyed our efforts.

The UGM is an overtly Christian organization, and even though we are not all Christian, the experience was both fulfilling for us and appreciated by them. It was a win-win. When all of the women were done, Kathy offered us the remaining stew and biscuits for lunch. As we were finishing up, one of the residents came by to thank us and give us a tip:

Do you want to help the Union Gospel Mission?

• Donate Money on the UGM Website
• Volunteering at the Union Gospel Mission is incredibly easy and flexible. To sign up for a time to volunteer, it only take 45 to 60 seconds (literally). More information can be found on the UGM's Volunteering Page

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