Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR) (San Antonio)

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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).

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Inman Christian Center (San Antonio)

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Contact: Damian Rodriguez
   1214 Colima Street
   San Antonio, TX 78207
E-Mail:    drodriguez@inmancenter.org  
Phone: 210.222.9641
Fax:  210.227.9566
Web site:   www.inmancenter.org      

Inman Christian Center empowers children,  youth and families and the elderly to develop to their full physical, mental and spiritual potential within the communities that Inman serves.

Project/Focus:  Assist in maintaining the center facilities as well as in program support.  For more information, please contact the center directly or visit our website.

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Reach Beyond Mission (Austin & Houston)

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Contact: Mary Lu Johnston
   15907 Braesgate Drive
   Austin, TX 78717
E-mail: info@reachbeyondmission.org 
Web site: www.reachbeyondmission.org

Biblical.  Progressive.  Inclusive.  Reach Beyond Mission is a theologically progressive youth mission program that goes beyond traditional mission, combining service opportunities with thoughtful and intentional poverty education.

Project/Focus:  Reach Beyond Mission is a fully planned youth mission experience.  Youth join youth from other churches across the country to explore issues of culture, gender, and poverty in an urban setting.  Participants volunteer at numerous metropolitan area non-profits working with the homeless, low-income families, children, people with disabilities and the elderly.  Reach Beyond Mission provides speakers, age-appropriate activities, and discussion starters to help young people explore the biblical, theological, economic, social and political issues related to poverty.

Educational/Advocacy Components:  It is life-changing when youth are challenged to move beyond feeling warm and fuzzy about helping others and begin to explore how to spend a lifetime changing the system which causes poverty.  It is life-changing when youth begin to recognize that racism, sexism, and all the other "isms" are more than attitudes and that those "isms" have provoked real actions which have left many of God's children marginalized and disadvantaged.  It is life-changing when youth begin to understand that they have power to make an impact with their votes, through their career choices, and with how they spend their money.

Time:  Houston, TX - June 16-21, 2013 and June 23-28, 2013
Austin, TX - July 7-12, 2013 and July 14-19, 2013 

Group Size: Maximum 50 participants per week.  Smaller groups will join others from different places and congregations.  

Minimum Age: Completed 6th grade through just completed 12th grade.

Adult to Youth Ratio:  1:6

Accommodations: Food is provided.  Groups are housed at local church or school.  All females and males sleep in separate rooms, including married adult leaders.  Showers are available either on-site or at a nearby location.  Participants provide their own transportation.  Program provides two trained young adults who will serve as hosts, coordinators, and mentors to the youth.

Cost: $285 per person per week.

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Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries (Los Fresnos & Bayview)

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Contact: Feliberto Pereira, Director or Raquel Garcia, Assistant Director
   28259 Pereira Compassion Road
   Los Fresnos, TX 78566
E-mail: fpereira@swgsm.org; rgarcia@swgsm.org
Phone: 956.233.5198
Fax:  956.233.8802
Web site: www.swgsm.org

Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries lives the Good News of salvation by addressing spiritual and material needs, including emergency shelter and food, clothing, transportation, legal aid, advocacy and job referral through a cooperative effort with other agencies and religious organizations.

Project/Focus:  Light construction, painting, building maintenance, electrical, plumbing and masonry work for homes, churches, and other projects.  Sites in the U.S.

Educational/Advocacy Components:  Group leaders responsible for own programming.  Resources on immigration and border issues are available at www.ucc.org/justice/advocacy_resources.  Feliberto Pereira's autobiographical book "I Was A Stranger:  Hope for a Hidden World" can be used as framework for discussion www.hopeforahiddenworld.com.  

Time:  All year. Call office or visit website for registration information.

Group Size: Maximum of 82 at Bayview site and a maximum of 28 at the Los Fresnos site. 

Minimum Age: Middle school age youth with supervision through adults of all ages. 

Adult to Youth Ratio:  Adult supervision required, especially during orientation session.

Accommodations: Housing provided. Kitchen is available. The ministry is affiliated with the  Southwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Cost: Deposits:  Facility rental $100; Van rental $100.  Lodging final cost $13 per person per night.  Van final cost $50 per day.  Group also covers costs for the work project and varies according to the project chosen for the group's skills and level of work.  Please visit website for additional cost information and forms.

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