Men’s Ministries

Offering hope for a better future

This is where you’ll find hope and help to build a better life.

Men of all ages and backgrounds are welcome and will receive food, shelter and basic medical care, as well as services and support for total life change.

Showers, personal-hygiene items and suitable clothing provided

3 wholesome meals daily

for current Guests staying at the Mission.

On-site Nurse Available

85 Shelter Beds

in the clean and substance-free environment of our Men’s Center, with overflow capabilities up to 100 beds during extreme weather conditions. Guests may stay for increments of 14 days with Chapel, case management, crisis counseling, and classes available. Our guests are never charged rent or a nightly rate to stay in our shelter.

Optional Case management

to connect men with social services and resources for housing and employment. Opportunity to move to weekly case management in order to create goal plan. We call it Bridge. Men can stay as long as they are actively working their Bridge plan.

emergency shelter

“God lifted me from the depths of pain and gave me joy.”

It was back in 2004 when God led Marvin to the Mission – and it changed the trajectory of his life. He was a brilliant young man, a junior at Berkeley, when he began experiencing paranoia. Eventually, he dropped out of school and began wandering the streets with nothing but a backpack filled with food and a Bible…

Short Term Programs

For shelter guests seeking short-term and structured guidance toward independence and stability.

During the first 2 weeks staying in the Men’s Center, each guest is informed about and must choose one of two programs available to him: Bridge or Equip.

The Bridge Program is designed for men who have had a life-altering circumstance that has forced them into homelessness, but they have skills and resources needed to overcome soon. Bridge can last as long as it needs to so they can get out of homelessness. As long as he is working on his case plan, this service can persist.

The Equip Program is designed for men who continue to find themselves in a cycle of homelessness. Equip includes Discipleship Class and can last from 6 to 12 weeks and serves as a transition to the Christian Life Program (see Long Term Programs). To enroll in the CLP, guests must be in the Equip Program for at least 2 weeks prior to the posted intake dates.

Following are the CLP intake dates for 2026:

  • March 25
  • June 24th
  • September 23
  • December 16 
addiction programs for men
long term programs for men

Long Term Programs

These programs offer long term support and services that help guests overcome hardships and work toward a better life.

City Union Mission programs are created and implemented for the purpose of sharing the gospel and investing in the spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and vocational health of men who are homeless. The Christian Life Program (CLP) includes services to help men launch into their most viable independent life.

The CLP includes:

  • Whole Health Recovery Support
  • Health Recovery Plan Guide
  • Trauma-informed Counseling and Case Management
  • Trauma Healing
  • Physical Health Recovery
  • Addiction Recovery 
  • Community Resources
  • Adult Education
  • Vocational Training and Development
  • Participation in local church community


P.A.T.H.

P.A.T.H. is a four-phase model of transformation focusing on whole-person health and recovery. Each phase along the P.A.T.H. focuses on spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, social, and vocational health.

Phase 1:  Prepare: Becoming Aware of Self (13 weeks)

This foundational level is designed to introduce awareness, skills, and practices necessary for a transformed life of whole-person health.

Classes:

  • Foundations of Christian Life; Gospel Fundamentals
  • Foundations of Health Recovery: Living Grace
  • Foundations of Life Skills: Awareness
  • Foundations of Vocational Development: Career Exploration


Phase 2:  Anchor: Healing Through Trauma (13 weeks)

This stage of programming seeks to help you heal through past trauma. 

Classes:

  • God’s Big Picture – Get an overview of the Bible
  • Trauma Healing Classes –
  • Finance Classes 


Phase 3:  Thrive: Preparing for Vocation (13 weeks)

This stage of programming focuses on adding vocational and transferable hard-skills to your foundation of new beliefs, behaviors, and relationship skills. This season of the journey is spent gaining experience living out healthy operational models, building new supportive relationships, and growing emotional intelligence as you work through daily personal and vocational interactions.

Classes:

  • Disciplines of the Christian Life – Learn the habits that enrich your life and help you grow into a better relationship with God’s and his community.
  • Thrive – Learn how to improve spiritual, mental, physical, and social health.
  • Self-Management – Learn how to create and accomplish goals. Create and maintain high performance habits.
  • TEAMS – Learn soft skills that will help you succeed in the workplace.
  • Car IQ – Learn how to take care of a car.
  • Faith and Finances – Learn how to keep a budget, increase your credit score, pay of debt, and more.


Phase 4:  inHabit – Transitioning into the Community (13 weeks+)

This stage of programming focuses both on living fully from a place of health (mind, body, community, and spirit), and launching to life outside of the Mission. Daily life now consists of several healthy habits, and energy is spent gaining new vocational skills and establishing independent living. Educational and career development, as well as active employment are key activities of this stage.

To enroll in the CLP, guests must be in the Equip Program within the Men’s Center (see Short Term Programs) for 30 days prior to the posted intake dates.

Following are the CLP intake dates for 2026:

  • March 25
  • June 24th
  • September 23
  • December 16 

“I was in a very dark place.”

“I grew up in foster homes, group homes and street shelters,” Dempsey says. “At a very young age I learned to take care of myself.” Sadly, influenced by his detrimental surroundings, his self-education also included the use of alcohol and drugs…

in recovery, christ-based recovery

PROGRAM LOCATIONS

Want to learn more?

For details on these and other services – or to register for assistance 

Your support meets needs & transforms lives!

Your generous gifts provide life-changing care that offers men, women, and children the chance for personal and spiritual wholeness. Please help today!

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