Union Mission Ministries

Outreach Ministries: the Mission has been blessed with the opportunity and privilege to distribute food and clothing throughout west Virginia. Our warehouse in charlestion is the central point of distribution as we assist more than 20 churches, food pantries, and outreach programs throughout the state. Our food resources are also used at our men's shelter and our men's and women's addiction recovery programs. As a result of sharing these reasources, we gain the privilege of sharing the love of god with the hurting. In 2022, the Mission was able to accomplish this distribution from 13 separate sites serving and average of 309 families and 108 individuals monthly. The outreach ministry also responds quickly to provide emergency relief following floods or other disasters. The goods distributed are received by the Mission as gifts-in-kind from businesses, food resource programs, and other ministry programs.

Family services Ministries: family services is committed to meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of families as well as the needs of individuals who are in crisis or at risk of becoming homeless.the family services program assists clients who are in emergency needs of household items, clothing, financial assistance, and counseling. New clothing, almost new clothing, and household items are given to clients through our distribution room. In 2022, the Mission served an average of 108 individuals and 309 families monthly. In addition, thanksgiving and christmas food boxes were distributed to 252 families, the adopt-a-family for christmas program served 76 families with 171 children, and toys for children distributed gifts to 483 children at christmas.

Union Mission men's shelter: the Mission's men's shelter provides service to the homeless and hurting every hour of the day, year-round. It provides an average of 100 meals per day, and it has a maximum lodging capacity of 58. The men who come to the shelter do so knowing their physical needs will be met. The staff and chaplains of the shelter, while meeting these physical needs, also tend to the spiritual needs in a practical way. In 2022, serving approximately 30 separate individuals monthly, a total of 21,763 meals were served and 8,442 overnight lodgings. Emergency shelter is offered as a refuge to men needing temporary housing. Residents receive three hot meals every day, as well as a hot shower, clean clothes and pajamas, fresh toiletries, and a clean bed. The shelter is open throughout the day, and residents are welcome to access the facility whenever they wish. If after a a short initial period, a transient decides to make the shelter his home, he must commit to finding a steady job. Residents are attributed the dignity they deserve as human beings, but they are also kept accountable for the management of their time and money.

Thrift store ministry: the Mission's thrift store accepts donations of new and used items from the general public for resale at market value. All items are placed on the sales floor with a price and a date, and once an item has been on the shelf for longer than 8 weeks, the items are generally discounted or set out for free. Excess clothing is sold in bulk. The proceeds from the store are used to help support the work of the Mission. Men's and women's addiction recovery program: we are a long term, 12 to 15 month, faith-based addiction recovery program where men and women learn how to live a life of complete victory over addiction through a combined approach of biblical counseling, teaching, work therapy, and education. The programs addresses the spirit, body, and mind of the participants as they are immersed in a culture of healing and restoration. The programs revolve around the word of god, execercise, nutrition, vocational training, and job placement. Participants are provided with meals, clothing, personal items, recreational needs, and classroom instruction, as well as recources for vocational advancement through our client services to enable individuals to successfully re-enter the community. In the men's program on average, approximately 12 men are in the program on a monthly basis. During 2022, these men were served 12,492 meals and 4,494 overnight lodgings. In the women's program on average, approximately 12 women are in the program on a monthly basis. During 2022, these women were served 12,506 meals and 4,502 overnight lodgings. The vocational advancement program atthe Mission was developed to help participants gain the necessary skills to return to society better equipped to rebuild their lives. There are two parts to the program - education and work experience.client services: as the Mission stands on the front lines of the addiction crisis, we are seeing a greater need to help recovering addicts beyond the point of his or her addiction. The question became: how can we in good conscience help someone overcome addiction only to send them out with no practical tools to keep them from falling back into destructive behaviors? More than ever we see the need to help these men and women obtain the training, education, and life skills required to not only find a job, but build a career and a home that is free of abuse and addiction. Many of the people we serve do not even have the basic skills that we often take for grant - like how to balance a checkbook, use a computer, cook a meal, or properly care for their children. Addiction has robbed them of their ability to learn and grow in these areas. The vocational advancement program at the Mission was developed to meet these needs by helping participants gain the necessary skills needed to return to society better equipped to rebuild their lives. There are two parts to the program - education and work experience.