"Life on the streets is a nightmare that never ends. It's even worse for the children."
      -A homeless mother

Safe and Loved

Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment each day of a child's stay at Union Rescue Mission. Through a wide range of children's programs offered in the Central City East community, we hope they can feel safe and loved to heal and grow, overcome learning and developmental gaps, and enjoy being children again.

Available Services for Children

Shelter

The idea of sleeping on the street is so frightening for a young person and a real fear for homeless children. We provide clean, warm beds in a safe and nurturing setting, providing the initial stability needed when someone first becomes homeless.

As one of the only emergency shelters in Skid Row to accept children in our overnight shelter, many families turn to us when they have nowhere else to go. Within the first 15 days, we work with each family to assess and determine the best transitional housing case plan for moving outside of the downtown skid row area – through referrals, county assistance, or our Hope Gardens Family Center.

Health Care

In partnership with local universities Union Rescue Mission offers essential medical and dental health care - all free of charge.

Education

Giving stability and hope, education is crucial for young people to keep routine and set high goals.

• We supply uniforms, appropriate clothing, school supplies, backpacks, and shoes.
• After school tutoring programs are provided across the street by School on Wheels or next door through SAY YES!.
• We assist each family to secure the needed documentation (birth certificates, immunizations, etc.) to be able to enroll their children in school.

Recreation, Relationships & Character

We work with a partner programs close by, SAY YES!, to provide after school tutoring and activities for the children in our facility. Children find a wide variety of healthy activity times supervised by loving staff.

Community Life Center

For our mothers with children, we offer a special place where they can enjoy one-on-one interaction over: reading, games, homework, puzzles, crafts, and videos.