When he was homeless and hungry, Bruce did things he never thought he would

He would sometimes walk to a drive-up window at the end of the night and ask a fast food clerk if they had anything they were going to throw out. Or steal a frozen pizza and eat it cold. Once, he even ate out of a garbage can.

“I felt horrible . . . disgraceful . . . like a pathetic loser,” Bruce remembers.

Worse Than Being Hungry

So what does it mean to someone like Bruce to sit down to a meal at the Union Gospel Mission? It means everything! “Nothing’s worse than being hungry . . . AND alone!” he says.

The first meal at the Mission changed Bruce’s life. “Because of that meal, I really felt loved,” he says.

Bruce was plenty of both before he entered our Christ Recovery Center. Just having a roof over his head, being able to take a shower and being surrounded by people who genuinely care has had a great impact on his life.

“I’ve got more friends here — good, quality men — than I had in the last 30 years,” he explains.

Because of That Meal, I Felt Really Loved

Yet Bruce says it was that first meal at the Mission that really opened the door to lasting life-change.

“Because of that meal, I really felt loved,” he says. “A lot of people worked hard to provide that meal: from those who donated the food, to those who cooked it and even those who served it. And when you think about them, it’s overwhelming!”

You make a difference whenever you provide a meal. With so many hurting men and women barely hanging on, your gift offers hope in their darkest hour.