We are thrilled to share that the foundation of our housing building has been poured, marking a significant milestone in the development of the LC Valley Shelter in Lewiston, Idaho!

In the coming weeks, we expect to see our housing building begin to take shape with vertical framing, while work on the foundation for our chapel and cafeteria building will begin soon as well.

The new foundation for our shelter represents more than just a physical structure; it is a symbol of our commitment to creating a safe and stable place for those seeking refuge, recovery, and restoration. Thank you for your support and prayers as we move forward, building on a foundation of faith and hope for the LC Valley.

Since our groundbreaking ceremony, our team has taken the opportunity to meet with the architect, engineers, and builder to revise the site plan to better serve our community, staff, volunteers, and residents in the LC Valley. The new design will place the buildings further back from Snake River Avenue, creating a more cohesive campus feel. Our builder, Kenaston Corp, has officially begun the foundational work for the housing building, and you can expect to see a lot of activity from here on out. The LC Valley community is eager to see this vision become a reality – and it finally is! We trust that the Lord will see this good work through to completion.

We've broken ground! On February 23, the LC Valley community gathered to break ground where the future UGM shelter will stand in Lewiston, Idaho. Shelter construction on the 92-bed shelter is beginning soon. With a little over one million dollars left to raise, we continue pressing on knowing that God is moving through every part of this project. Read more about it here. Also available are the recorded livestream and special highlight video!

You’re invited to the groundbreaking ceremony of the UGM LC Valley Shelter!

Date: Friday, February 23
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: 501 Snake River Ave, Lewiston, ID 83501

We are eager to build the region’s first high-barrier shelter to address homelessness in the LC Valley. 

Join us to hear from Executive Director Phil Altmeyer, local leaders, and a former UGM resident from the LC Valley. We will also pray over the property and all who will walk through its doors.

Add to calendar

It’s exciting to share with you that we have reached our $3 million fundraising goal! Our next step is to break ground on our Snake River Ave. property in the new year and officially open our doors in 2025. But, as mentioned in our September update, a higher bid from the contractor than expected means there’s more funding needed than originally projected.

With a promise in November of $830,000 from a foundation, that leaves us $1 million more to raise. We enter this new phase with motivation and encouragement as the community continues to express a desire to bring UGM’s ministry to the Valley. The Lord has great things in store, and we are humbled by His provision through friends like you.

Thank you for making 2023 memorable and joining us with a vision for the new year.

Great news! We have accepted a bid and selected a contractor! Also, our building plans have been submitted to the City of Lewiston and they're in the final stages of city approval.

Soon, you will start to see more activity on the property, including the removal of the old storage units. Also, you may not be surprised to hear that the bids all came in higher than anticipated. Although we selected one of the lowest bids, some additional fundraising will be needed. We’ll keep you informed on that.

We praise God for all He’s accomplishing in this community. Your contributions, whether through prayer or financial gifts, are preparing a place where people will encounter the saving love of Jesus. Thank you. 

18 churches from the Lewiston-Clarkston region have agreed to partner with us through hosting a “UGM Sunday” in May and June. This is a greater response than we anticipated! UGM Sundays typically include a special offering dedicated to the Mission. All funds received will go to the Union Gospel Mission LC Valley Expansion.

Also, great news! The appeal that was made against the City of Lewsiton’s approval has been overturned. We have all green lights.

We continue to pray for God to provide the remaining $1.65 million that will make the Union Gospel Mission, LC Valley Expansion possible. The next few months will be crucial in our fundraising efforts, as we strengthen connections with local churches and launch our public campaign. We will also be taking our building plans to bid, selecting a contractor, and applying for a few key grants.

The most intense phase of fundraising begins with great momentum: of the $7 million needed for the project, we have only $2 million left to raise. As we extend the invitation to local churches in coming months, we have high expectations of not only nearing our funding goals, but expanding and deepening our connections within the community.

Also, we’d like to announce that we’ve hired our new Shelter Director, Jeremy Stevens.

As of the start of 2023, we have raised over $800K of the $3M we’re asking from the Valley. The architectural plans are progressing well, we will soon select our builder, and we have scheduled a full calendar of fundraising and informational events starting in March! 

As of July this year, we’ve been granted a conditional use permit, and we’ve been given a date! We must break ground on the property no later than July 2023. As of September 20, our thrift store on that property is permanently closed in preparation. 

At the recent Lewiston City Council meeting, council members signaled they are now willing to consider raising the capacity limit for (high-barrier) homeless shelters from 50 to 100 beds.