On the 26th episode of Immigration Today! Angeline Chen interviews Rev. Andrew (Andy) J. Bales, the CEO of Union Rescue Mission. Union Rescue Mission (URM) is one of the largest missions of its kind — bringing help and hope to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in Downtown Los Angeles. URM is an organization that was founded in 1891 which dedicates itself to helping men, women, and children escape the streets of Skid Row through food, shelter, education, counseling, and long-term recovery program. During their early days, URM took to the streets in gospel wagons to offer food, clothing, and salvation to the less fortunate. Over the years, URM has continued and expanded its efforts to feed both the body and the soul, helping individuals and families break the cycle of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.
On this episode of Immigration Today!, Andy talks to us about his upbringing and how he came into the field of service naturally. His father experienced homelessness and alcoholism. That, coupled with his eventual passion for teaching and his faith brought him to lean a hand in and help those in need. Andy Bales has over 35 years of experience in community outreach and service to the homeless community. While at URM, he has assisted in the development of transitional housing and permanent supportive housing for the community of LA. Andy has had a pivotal role in reshaping hospital and governmental policies related to the “dumping” of homeless patients on to the streets of Skid Row. Andy’s present focus is organizing and working with community partners to address the epidemic of homelessness in Los Angeles.
Andy discusses the diverse demographic that exists in the streets of LA, including the growing Latinx and undocumented population. He also describes the work being done by LA Mayor Karen Bass and the strong support she has given to not only get people off the streets, but to treat the long history of mental illness that haunts our fellow Angelenos.
Andy was named as the 930th Point of Light by President George Bush in 1992, receiving the 1999 Des Moines NAACP Community Service Award, and receiving the 2004 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award from the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Pasadena. He was declared a Treasure of LA by the Central City Association in 2017. He has been featured in CBS’s 60 Minutes, NBC’s Dateline, CNN and Social Media, and is a frequent guest speaker at conferences, schools, and clubs. The list goes on.
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“I think our area of the most success this year so far has been finding people jobs and people keeping their jobs. They need some light at the end of the tunnel that isn’t a train coming their way, before they’ll give life another try. I’ve made a career of going out on the streets and encouraging people to give life another try and I’ve rarely been rejected. Sometimes it’s taken 32 weeks in a row before somebody makes the decision to come in and get help, but they do.”
You can support Union Rescue Mission by making a donating here. You can also register to be a volunteer here. If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, URM can help. To learn more about their emergency and recovery services, please call them at (213) 347-6300. Follow Union Rescue Mission on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!
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