All Peoples Christian Center
(Los Angeles)

Return to this entry after your trip to share experiences.

Contact: Saundra Bryant, Executive Director
         822 East 20th Street
         Los Angeles, CA 90011  
E-Mail: allpeoples@allpeoplescc.org     
Phone: 213.747.6357  
Fax:  213.747.0541 
Web site: www.allpeoplescc.org  

All Peoples Christian Center  provides a broad spectrum of social services to all regardless of faith or race, and to empower the community to meet its needs by promoting equality, unity, respect, and self-determination among all who participate in these programs.

Project/Focus:  A balance is sought between relationship building and more physical work, such as painting the interior and exterior of the building, maintenance/construction-type work on neighborhood houses, and food program distribution.  Groups also work with children and youth within the existing programs of daycare/preschool and after-school programs.

Educational/Advocacy Components: Impact Discussion allows staff to speak to group about different programs at the center.  Soap-Making/Reality Tour introduces group members to the neighborhood and the soap and lotion making business designed to give young men and women hope for a different future. “Face to Face Sharing” includes individuals sharing from their experience about realities of the context.  Some of the topics are immigration, “what it’s like to be a kid,” serving as the body of Christ, poverty.  Ideally, “Face to Face Sharing” is arranged for an hour each day. 

Accommodations:  Housing is at the First Christian Church of Torrance which is about a 20-25 minute drive southwest of All Peoples.  They provide showers, sleeping space, kitchen and gym.  Groups do their own cooking.

Cost: $150 registration fee and $5.00 per person daily fee; excluding housing donation. 

  Back to State Listing         Index by Focus of Mission Trip

Centro Romero (San Ysidro)

Return to this entry after your trip to share experiences.

Contact:  The Daniel F. Romero Center for Border Ministries, Centro Romero
   173 W. Hall Avenue
   San Ysidro, CA 92173
Email:  immersions@theromerocenter.com or correac@theromerocenter.com
Phone:  619.428.8700
Fax:  619.428.8705
Website:  www.theromerocenter.com

Centro Romero is one of the Centers for Education and Social Transformation, a concept created at the Justice and Witness Ministries in the national UCC setting.  It tries to create an environment where social transformation can take place by furthering understanding of the migratory realities between Latin America and the United States.

Project/Focus:  Educational-transformational immersion seminars along the border focus on issues of globalization, economic policies, immigration, and community empowerment.  Participants have the opportunity to meet with people of different perspectives on a variety of social, political, economical, faith, and environmental issues.  Centro Romero strives to coordinate visits and talks with people who live on both sides of the border and that are directly affected by the challenges of the U.S. - Mexico border (San Diego-Tijuana).  Educational tracks for seminars include spiritual/theological track; environmental racism/justice track; and globalization/workers rights track.  See website for more details.  Activities include talks with activists; community organizers; church leaders working to bring about social change.

A typical immersion day consists of four to five site-visits in the city of San Diego and/or Tijuana.  During the weekend program, most immersion time is spent in Tijuana.  During the week long program, the experience balances time between San Diego and Tijuana sites.  Activities include talks with activists; community organizers; church leaders working to bring about social change.

Educational/Advocacy Components:  The Romero Center also offers immersion experiences, lectures, workshops and conferences at sites in San Ysidor and in Tijuana, Mexico; support outreach activities with local communities, schools, churches, universities, and seminaries; and leadership development for those interested in justice work on both sides of the border.

"If participants desire to grow as individuals and as a human family, there is a theologically-based need to cross borders.  At the Romero Center we accept that borders will never disappear, but we also believe that borders do not have to divide or separate.  Borders can be privileged meeting places.  Through our immersion opportunities, participants are invited to view or observe the border and reflect theologically considering the border communities as places of great importance and as markers that enable us to recognize and respect the differences that make us who we are as individuals and societies."

See website for more details.

Time:  Weekend Immersion Seminar:  Fri. - Sun.  Weeklong Educational-Transformational Seminar:  Sun. - Sat.

Participants:  Seminars are designed to fit the interests of church members, students of all ages, government officials, community organizers, seminarians, universities and colleges, business persons, and community and labor organizers.

Costs: Call for costs.

  Back to State Listing         Index by Focus of Mission Trip

Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR) (Hollywood/Los Angeles)

Return to this entry after your trip to share experiences.

Contact: DOOR Program National Office
   See listing for DOOR programs in entry under national office in Denver, Colorado.
E-Mail:  DOOR@DOORnetwork.org 
Phone: 303.295.3667
Fax: 866.559.3248
Web site: www.DOORnetwork.org

DOOR is an urban learning and service program.

Groups experience the city and learn about it through volunteering at a variety of community agencies already present in the community, including soup kitchens and homeless shelters.  Groups stay at facilities in the city, hear a local perspective on the city, use public transportation when available, interact with people of the city and reflect on their experiences.  

DOOR locations nationwide:  California (Hollywood/Los Angeles); Colorado (Denver),  Georgia (Atlanta), Illinois (Chicago), Florida (Miami) and Texas (San Antonio).

  Back to State Listing         Index by Focus of Mission Trip

Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM, Inc.)

Return to this entry after your trip to share experiences.

Contact: Sophia DeWitt, Project Director
E-Mail:  sophiad@firminc.org
   1940 N. Fresno Street
   Fresno, CA  93703
Phone:  559.487.1500
Fax:  559.487.1550
Web Site: www.firminc.org

FIRM shares Christ's love to build communities of hope with new Americans.

Project/Focus:  Tutor with Southeast Asian and/or Slavic Refugees learning English and citizenship.  Assist with child care co-op and meal programs.  Work with children from low-income neighborhoods and refugee families during FIRM’s intensive “Summer Youth Project” (June-July-August).  Help with light maintenance tasks around FIRM's office property.  Assist with sorting and picking up donations, as needed.  Special events are held year round.

Educational/Advocacy Component:  Group cultural orientation, multicultural staff and language support are part of the experience at FIRM.  FIRM staff help groups engage with other cultures and address complex issues of poverty, housing and community health.  Links are made with a local group, God's Asian Youth Group.  FIRM also provides the opportunities to link with youth from refugee backgrounds - including Hmong, Lao, Cambodian, and Ukrainian.

Time:  Year-round, especially during summer and spring break.

Group Size:  Up to 25

Minimum Age:  13 years

Adult to Youth Ratio:  1:5

Accommodations:  FIRM staff can provide suggestions for lodging with local churches and inexpensive dining at local ethnic restaurants.

Cost:  $10.00 per person per day to cover the cost of FIRM staff preparing activities for your group.

  Back to State Listing         Index by Focus of Mission Trip

Interfaith Community Services (Escondido)

 Return to this entry after your trip to share experiences.

Contact: Nusrat Symons
   550 West Washington Avenue, Ste. B
   Escondido, CA 92025 
E-Mail: nsymons@interfaithservices.org
Phone: 760.489.6380 ext. 221
Fax: 760.740.0837
Web site: www.interfaithservices.org 

Project/Focus: Food bank organization, pantry cleaning, weeding and planting garden boxes at housing facility, and yard work.  Availability of projects subject to change.

Educational/Advocacy Components: Exposure to how Interfaith offers a full continuum of care for the displaced and underserved. 

Time: Yearlong. Contact organization three to six months before trip.

Group Size: 10–15 persons

Minimum Age: 15 years

Adult to Youth Ratio: 1:5

Accommodations: Volunteers arrange their own accommodations and transportation.

Cost: Please call for cost.

  Back to State Listing         Index by Focus of Mission Trip