Andy Bales

Andy Bales, who was raised a nondenominational Christian, grew up wanting to be a preacher. Bales took a job teaching at a Christian school in Iowa, and after witnessing a student being bullied, he picked up his bible and decided to teach his students a lesson from Matthew 25:40- "that which you do to the least fortunate, to someone who is hungry or who is hurting, you do to God himself." The statement resonated with him, and it was from that moment that he made it his mission to help the less fortunate and practice what he preached. He continues his mission in honor of his father and grandfather, who were homeless for much of their lives. As the CEO of Union Rescue Mission, Reverend Andy Bales brings service to his "brothers and sisters." The mission is committed to life-transforming ministry through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Running entirely off private donations, the Union Rescue Mission is one of the biggest in the country, and now it's on the frontline of the response to Coronavirus. He's doing around-the-clock media interviews encouraging people to come inside and is preaching from the rooftop of the mission in order to connect with God and lift the community's spirits. On top of losing his leg, Andy suffers from heart disease, kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, and is at risk of losing his second leg any day now. He will do anything to help serve the brothers and sisters in his community, even if it means sacrificing his health, and maybe even his life. While he may not be concerned about his own health, he worries about his brother who has COPD and was recently hospitalized with pneumonia. He has six grown children and many grandchildren. "