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 men who spend the night at the Mission and attend chapel service.

Basic medical care provided

by an onsite nurse and Swope Health Services.

125 Shelter Beds

in the clean and substance-free environment of our Men’s Center, with overflow capabilities as needed during extreme weather conditions. Guests may stay for increments of 15 days without participating in case management. 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.

New Beginnings Covenant (NBC)

Offered in both our men’s and family shelters, individuals can apply to participate in this 6 to 8 week discipleship recovery program to help them reach their goal of moving out of homelessness.  Participants attend foundational classes in health recovery, life skills and Bible discipleship, and are introduced to career and workforce development. Individualized case management and counseling are also provided. Successful completion of the NBC program is required for application for the CLP or NLP.

Job Hunters

A three-month program to assist men in finding full-time employment. Participants maintain accountability with a case manager and attend weekly Bible studies.

Special Arrangements

Men who have full-time employment are allowed to continue their stay for three months as case managers help them manage and save money in preparation for acquiring affordable housing.

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 includes:

  • Healthy Living Plan
  • Counseling & Case Management
  • Support for recovery
  • Community Resources
  • Education & Vocational Services
  • Training
  • Participation in local Church Community
  • Assistance launching into a independent life

P.A.T.H.

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

STEP 1: Prepare (8 weeks)

The success of any major journey requires the front-loading efforts of active preparation. The foundation level is designed to introduce awareness, skills and practices necessary for a transformed life of whole-person health.

CORE Classes:

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

STEP 2: Anchor (16 weeks)

This stage of programming seeks to help you anchor to truth, and focuses on solidifying your foundational beliefs, behaviors, and skills so you can find your true north in the midst of life’s storms and struggles. Anchors are not just for the storm, but because drifting is our norm. The goal is to become anchored in our salvation and in the disciplines of maturation.

CORE Classes:

  • Christian Life: God’s Big Picture
  • Health Recovery: Living Hope
  • Life Skills: Trauma Resilience and Relationships
  • Vocational Development: Career Readiness

Step 3: Thrive (16 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.

CORE Classes:

  • Christian Life: Disciplines of the Christian Life
  • Healthy Recovery: Thrive 1
  • Life Skills: Self-Management 1
  • Vocational Development: Work Readiness 1

Step 4: Inhabit (16 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.

CORE classes:

  • Christian Life: Theology of Work
  • Healthy Recovery: Thrive 2
  • Life Skills: Self-Management 2
  • Vocational Development: Work Readiness 2

“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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