Shoes donated through the new “Steps from Hope” campaign serve as both a reminder of Biola’s rich past and a perspective on the mission-filled future of the university as it celebrates one hundred years.

Though the Saturday concert featuring the music of popular Christian artists MercyMe and other musical talent was free, attendees were encouraged to bring a pair of shoes to donate to the Union Rescue Mission for distribution to needy families during the upcoming holiday season. Though many came just to hear the music and enjoy open-air fellowship, over 200 pairs of shoes were collected for the drive, according to Centennial Events.

The benefit was just another example of the close connection between Biola’s history and the drive of the Union Rescue Mission and organizations like it to provide a beacon of hope for the less fortunate of Los Angeles.

In fact, Biola’s earliest beginnings hold a connection to the Union Rescue Mission, so it is only fitting that in the university’s celebration year, the inaugural concert should raise support for the long-lasting ministry. While Stewart Hall can serve as a reminder that wealthy oilman Lyman Stewart played a significant role in founding Biola in 1908, 17 years earlier, he also founded the Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. In fact, the Rescue Mission, which has expanded its ministry of sheltering, clothing and feeding the homeless in Los Angeles, stands only a few blocks from the site of Biola’s original location on Hope Street.

Throughout the years, Biola and the Union Rescue Mission have stayed in close connection, with some Biola graduates even serving on the Mission’s Board of Directors. It is appropriate, thus, that the metaphorical name for the campaign would return one’s mind simultaneously to Biola’s mission statement and also to the name of the street where it all began.

“The Saturday events on campus were one more reminder to me that Biola is a place where fun happens, where our past matters, and where we take seriously our Christian walk,” said new President Barry Corey, reflecting on the events. “We’re giving back in a tangible way to the city of Los Angeles that has given so much to us over the years. My hope is that every member of this Biola community will give a pair of shoes for the Urban Rescue Mission Shoes for Hope drive.”

“We’re still all about hope,” he added, reflecting part of the significance behind choosing the Union Rescue Mission as the particular organization to support during Biola’s anniversary.

Students are still encouraged to donate shoes as the holiday season approaches. As part of Biola’s Centennial Celebration, Biola students will have an opportunity to revisit the campaign during the spring, this time lending their physical presence and taking a more active role in reaching out to the needy. A block party dedicated to helping the homeless, complete with live music, will be held in April, this time held in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, steps from where Biola first started.