For the privacy of those involved, names have been changed in this story. John is 63 years old and has lived over the mountain from Union Mission in Loudendale for many years. He has

Earlier this year, Union Mission announced the launch of Men’s and Women’s sober living facilities on the Brookside Campus. The purpose of this new program is to offer transition help for men and women

In the fall of last year, the Governor’s office announced the Posey Perry Emergency Food Fund to help combat food insecurity in West Virginia. As a recent recipient of some of these funds, Union

Addiction takes everything. Family. Security, Safety. Nothing is off limits. The thing about faith-based recovery, is that in God’s hands, He gives it all back, plus some! For nearly two decades, both Chris and Ashley

For Kenneth Hughes, life before Christ was one horror scene after another. At ten, he witnessed his great grandmother’s murder. At 17, he went to prison and witnessed unspeakable violence. In his early 20s, his

Earlier this year, we presented a story about East Bank Middle School and the issues they were facing with food insecurity for many of their students. That story generated a great deal of response

When you think of a homeless person, what comes to mind? Do you have an image in your head of what they look like? Do you start to assume what led to their homelessness?

Imagine you are back in school and you are studying for the big, midterm test that will determine whether you get a passing grade in a class. You spend hours trying to understand the

Have you ever purchased a Christmas gift for a family member or friend and wondered, how long will that last? Young children can test the mettle of any toy and soon wheels fall off

Many of you are aware that Union Mission has hosted a Kanawha County Preschool on our campus on South Park Road for X years now. What you may not know, however, is that our

As a child, Ashley moved around frequently. She was told that many of her high school credits would not transfer when she came to WV and instead of being a junior in high school,

One of the key ministries of Union Mission that doesn’t get as much attention as some of the other ministries is our Outreach efforts. Obviously, homelessness, addiction, and lack of access to food isn’t

Overcoming the grip of addiction and the destructive behavior associated with it can be very difficult. The men and women in our addiction recovery put forth a conscious effort every day to walk away

How does an organization like Union Mission, who offers a comprehensive  addiction recovery program, measure success? What are the marks of accomplishment or the marks of failure? If we were a for profit business

When Jonathan was released from South Central Regional Jail, he had nothing. No car, no house, no money and his family was hundreds of miles away. Fortunately, his brother travelled to Charleston to pick

With the launching of the Bud Young Emergency Response Team earlier this year, we have had conversations with community leaders all around central West Virginia. These conversations have revealed a variety of needs specific

When trying to understand what leads someone down the path of addiction, usually the situation of the home life is a key factor. The clients in our addiction recovery programs have unique stories to

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. - 1 Peter 5:6-7 Many of

On January 25th, 2021, one of our long serving board members and active volunteers for Union Mission was called home at the age of 92. Emory Young, Jr. (who everyone knew as Bud) served

We often hear from our clients that come to our addiction recovery program that their history of drug abuse has a cyclical action. They use drugs for a period, hit a low, stop using

For Sabrina, addiction has darkened a long period of her life. At times she found herself in jail, or out of work, or with no place to stay. Today, however, she is celebrating a

For 109 years, Union Mission has cared for the hurting and needy of West Virginia. Bringing hope and second chances to our fellow West Virginians has always been the goal. At times, however, Union Mission

September 12th was an exciting day for the graduates from Union Mission’s Addiction Recovery Program. In front of friends, family and staff, fourteen men and women walked across the stage and accepted their diplomas.

I grew up with addiction in my family which made my childhood very difficult. I had experimented with drugs at the age of ten. I smoked weed which led to pills, and by the

In August 2018, Union Mission was blessed with the opportunity to collaborate with Kanawha County Schools to open a new preschool to serve the local  community. “Preschool is a child’s first school experience and

I grew up in a big loving Italian family and was taught great morals. My parents divorced when I was twelve years old and it took a toll on me and my sister. I

Renita: My name is Renita and this is my daughter Katy. I battled addiction for eleven years and to the outside world I had it all. I was a nurse, married, two  children, a

I was homeless and lived out on the streets of Charleston for 5 months sleeping wherever I could. Sadly, I had to look inside of dumpsters for food and things like that. I heard

A year ago John and Tabbi were living in a car near Union Mission’s Crossroads shelter and trying to survive one of the coldest winters on record. Although they never thought they would be graduating

On January 10, 2019, fourteen men and women graduated from Union Mission’s Addiction Recovery Program. Attended by a host of family and friends, the ceremony commenced at Kingdom Life Fellowship Church in Nitro, West Virginia. Union Mission’s

Bag number 3,000 was recently donated to Union Mission Thrift Store by Consigning Women’s clothing store of Cross Lanes. Since 2013 co-owners Stacey Corbin and Sandy Harper have been faithfully donating clothing from their

If you would have told me ten to fifteen years ago that I would be where I am today, I would have told you that you were crazy. In my mind, I didn’t fit the

The picture on the right is me on March 18, 2017. I was a hopeless mess and at my rock bottom. I was addicted to drugs and living a lifestyle of self-destruction. I wanted

It’s hard to believe that my many years of drug abuse began at twelve yearsold. I started smoking weed and a year later I was doing and selling acid. If only I knew then

In 1993, with a wife, three children and a heart for the Lord, Steve Graham accepted a job with the Union Mission as head of maintenance. It wasn’t just Steve who took on this ministry

Happy Valentine’s Day! The topic of love comes to the fore in the month of February, as we celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th. Most of us enjoy hearing a good love story, and it’s

Can you imagine going days without eating? What if you could not afford medicine and groceries? Which would you choose? These are real dilemmas that many face every day. It is hard to imagine as

Hi, my name is Meresa. After my daddy died, I sank into deep and very dark depression. The pain was almost unbearable. I started smoking pot, drinking any chance I could get and taking my  daddy’s leftover Seroquel. I jumped

Jim and Marie* had originally planned to sell their car which no longer had much value to them. God, however, had a different plan and worked through a friend who told another friend who told them about families who had lost

I am from Princeton and spent eighteen years in the military. I have served two tours in Iraq and was wounded while serving in Afghanistan.

I am originally from Fayetteville but lived and worked in Ohio for many years. When I lost my job, I became homeless and moved around staying with friends.

For years, Janet’s son Tommy suffered from drug addiction. Janet knew in her heart that without intervention her son, now in his thirties, would probably not live another year.

For many people, Easter is a time of new outfits, family gatherings, great food and enjoyable activities that generate fun-loving experiences and fond memories.

Growing up I played basketball and was very athletic. I was raised in Greenbrier County in a very dysfunctional family.