"Every person I have interacted with is amazing. From the guy who runs the leaf blower to administration, it's an empowering place to be."  ~ Jena March is the month we welcome spring, and a time of year we often associate with new beginnings. For many of our UMOM New Day Centers clients, coming to our family emergency shelter provides that opportunity: to overcome barriers that led [...]

UMOM is Doing its Part to Protect People in our Community It’s probably safe to say most of us have developed COVID-19 fatigue: having to steer clear of public places as much as possible, keep our distance and wear masks when we are near others and suspend in-person celebrations and gatherings with family and friends. It’s much the same at work, with employers implementing safety protocols and [...]

"I believe this is where I need to be at the moment. I've never received service like this, with so much care. It's so refreshing."  ~ Randy Families who come to UMOM's family shelter come in all forms, entire families headed by mom and dad, single moms and also single dads. Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau find more fathers than ever are raising children on their [...]

“I never realized how much I love talking to people - this is all new to me and I like it!” Meet Carrie. She was running out of places to go by Thanksgiving, hoping she and her preschool-aged child wouldn’t have to turn to living on the streets during the holidays. It had been just seven months since “Carrie” (we have changed her name and a few [...]

Today, we honor the legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights era in the 1950s and 1960s, whose work for equality paved the way for generations his timeless words continue to motivate young and old Americans alike, as well as people all over the world. Dr. King was many things: a father, a minister, a [...]

January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Like most of us, Jo is breathing a sigh of relief that 2020 is over. Her teenage son, a bystander shot in a random drive-by shooting, is recovered and doing well. She has a good full-time job and was recently promoted to the management team at a call center, where she helps train others. And for the first time [...]

"I hit rock-bottom, but I learned I'm a survivor," said Sabrina. "I fought alcoholism and personal things in my life. I fought the coronavirus and survived eviction and living in my car with my children." Meet Sabrina. Sabrina was proud of what she had accomplished after battling alcoholism. In the six years she had been sober, she had managed, as a single mom, to keep a good, [...]

December 11, 2020 It’s officially the giving season, that special time of year when we show our love for others – whether it’s gifting a smile to a stranger or a prettily wrapped present to a family member. Each gift we give releases a little more light into the world, helping the holidays shine bright for us all. I’m asking you to share this light with the [...]

November 17, 2020 It’s been a difficult year. That sentence conjures all sorts of images and events in our hearts and minds. But thankfully, for most of us – we’ve been able to find comfort and solace in our homes. The same isn’t true for the families UMOM serves, and we’re entering this holiday season more grateful than ever for you, our supporters, for making possible the [...]

Hope on 32nd Street September 22, 2020 We all have hopes and dreams for our lives, whether it’s moving to a new place, starting a new job, or beginning a family of our own. On our journeys, we can encounter a multitude of barriers along the way. Those barriers can be anything from a lack of financial support, unfinished education, or an inability to identify supportive services. [...]