Exciting progress is happening at the LC Valley Shelter! What began as a vision is quickly becoming a reality.

Inside the main housing building, finishing work is moving along. Cabinetry, tile, and flooring are being installed, and laundry equipment is in place. The elevator is nearly complete, and bunk beds are scheduled to arrive in mid-November, bringing us closer to opening our doors.

In the cafeteria, drywall is finished, and priming begins next week. Kitchen and refrigeration equipment will follow soon, preparing the space for its first shared meal. The chapel has been freshly painted, and electrical teams are installing lighting and controls to bring warmth and light to the space.

Outside, crews are shaping the campus with curbing, sidewalks, and paving. A decorative fence and landscaping will be added in the coming weeks to make the facility welcoming to all.

Beyond construction, we’ve started hiring staff and building a team committed to serving the LC Valley with excellence and compassion. Volunteer opportunities are also available, and we invite you to attend a one-hour Volunteer Overview to learn more.

Thank you for your continued prayers, generosity, and support. Together, we’re building more than a shelter. We are creating a safe, sober, Christ-centered place where lives will be transformed.

The LC Valley build is entering an exciting season! Every week brings visible change, and the dream we’ve prayed over for so long continues to become a reality. Inside the main housing structure, the finishing touches have begun. Fresh coats of paint are being applied to the walls, and in the weeks ahead, cabinetry and flooring will be installed, giving each room the sense of dignity and welcome it was designed to provide. Outside, crews are preparing the grounds for the parking lot, landscaping, and sidewalks—spaces that will soon greet the men, women, and women with children who will find refuge here.

The Cafeteria is also moving forward, its exterior steadily coming together. With the commercial kitchen’s complex plumbing and electrical needs, there’s a lot of work still to do, but every step is getting us closer to the first shared meal in a space designed for nourishment and connection.

The Chapel next door is taking shape. Internal framing is complete, and progress fills the building as plumbing, mechanical, and electrical work continue. The drywall is going up, and before long, painters will bring warmth and color to this special place. Soon, classrooms, offices, and a chapel for worship will stand ready to serve.

As all this progress unfolds, we’re reminded that this project is more than buildings, it’s about people. The hope of this shelter will only come alive fully when the community steps in to serve. Over the coming months, we’ll need volunteers for everything from meal service to mentoring, hospitality to childcare. The best way to get started is by attending a Volunteer Overview—a one-hour introduction to who we are, what we do, and where you might fit.

Thank you for praying, giving, and standing with us. Every brushstroke, beam, and brick reflects your faithfulness, and together, we are building more than a shelter. We are creating a safe, sober environment where lives can be transformed.

Construction continues to move forward, with the Cafeteria, Chapel, and 96-bed Housing structure all progressing steadily.

Cafeteria: The footings are in place, and the foundation pour is scheduled next. This space will one day serve as a hub for nourishment and connection.

Chapel: The structural framing is rising. This future place of worship will provide space for spiritual growth, reflection, and community gatherings.

Housing: Metal and lap siding are being installed on the residential structure, along with continued mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work inside. With exterior work nearing completion, we anticipate interior work like sheetrock beginning soon.

Each of these developments is more than construction—it’s a step closer to opening the doors to a space where men and women experiencing homelessness and hardship can find stability, healing, and hope.

We remain on track for a Fall 2025 opening and are grateful for the continued prayers and support from the LC Valley community. Together, we are building a place of transformation.

We are thrilled to announce that we've reached our estimated funding goal for the construction phase of our building project! Thank you for your generous support.

A significant contributor to reaching this funding goal was the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) Grant sponsored by State Bank Northwest. This grant has been pivotal in helping finalize the funding for the expansion, and we are incredibly grateful for their support.

With the construction phase complete, we are now focused on raising an additional $300,000 to furnish and equip the shelter for day-to-day operations. The funds raised will go toward essential items, including:

• Mattresses & Bunk Beds
• Playground Equipment
• UGM Sign
• 12-Person Passenger Van
• Delivery Truck
• Maintenance Equipment
• Cafeteria Furnishings 
• Chapel Furniture
• Common Room Furnishings
• Office Furnishings

The foundation work for our chapel and cafeteria has begun, marking a significant step forward in creating spaces that will provide spiritual nourishment and community connection for those we serve.

Inside our housing structure, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work is underway, ensuring that the building will be fully equipped to provide a safe and comfortable environment for individuals seeking rescue, recovery, and restoration. Over the next several weeks, siding will begin to be installed on the housing building, further bringing our vision to life. Additionally, more site work will take place, and you may even see walls starting to go up for both the chapel and cafeteria buildings!

Looking ahead, we are excited to share that staffing and volunteer opportunities will be opening up in the coming months as we prepare for a possible September finish date. 

The framing for our two-story, 96-bed housing shelter is nearing completion, marking another major step forward in providing a safe and stable space for individuals seeking refuge, recovery, and restoration.

As we prepare to finish the framing of the housing structure, we’re thrilled to announce that work on the foundation for our chapel and cafeteria is set to begin next month. These spaces will serve as the heart of our mission, offering a place for connection, spiritual growth, and nourishment for those we serve.

We are hopeful and prayerful that by this time next year, the LC Valley Shelter will be ready to serve as a much-needed resource for our community. 

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.

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.

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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.