When we look around us, we see people every day who are in need of a helping hand, a bit of hope, a new direction…and ultimately, Christ. Giving back in our community is our chance to meet those needs. Get involved in what God is doing in the greater LA area and experience joy as you bring Christ’s light into someone else’s life. Take a look at the list of service opportunities below – including family friendly opportunities – that will let you to use your unique gifts and experiences to glorify God and CHANGE OUR WORLD.
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Every time you see someone on the streets, questions like these jump into our heads. Get some good answers by registering for our “How to Help the Homeless” training on Sunday, September 19th. During this two-hour event you will learn about the issue of homelessness in our area, receive practical training on how to effectively engage and connect with service opportunities at SCG and elsewhere. Invite a friend! Lunch and childcare will be provided free of charge. There is no cost to attend, but we will take an offering during the training, which will be used to support homeless education programs in Long Beach.
Today, Compton is known around the world... for all the wrong reasons. Many people have written Compton off, but God hasn’t. He is using His people to bring about a turning point in the city. Four times each year, over a thousand volunteers put on yellow shirts and descend on Compton to serve those in greatest need. During a morning of work, we paint over graffiti, mend fences, pray with residents and serve as a living testimony of Christ’s love. It’s a bold vision – to see a city restored – but we believe that in time, Compton will become a dramatic testimony of His redemptive power.
The next scheduled Compton Initative for 2010 is Saturday, October 16. Mark your calendars!
Located in downtown LA between Third and Seventh Streets and Alameda and Main Streets, Skid Row defines “rock bottom.” A place of drugs, dirt and despair, it is where people end up when they have nowhere else to go. Makeshift homes of tents and tarps cover the sidewalks as residents struggle to survive another day. This ministry is a God-honoring way to care for the forgotten.
In partnership with Victory Outreach of Compton, SeaCoast Grace ministers in Skid Row on a monthly basis, providing food, clothing and blankets to homeless men and women. You can get involved by going with our team, donating goods, or preparing food for distribution. Our team leaves the Warehouse parking lot at 9pm and returns by approximately 1:30am. Email contribute@seacoastgrace.org for more information.
The remaining dates in 2010 for our Skid Row Outreach are: August 20 - September 24 - October 22 - November 19 - December 17
Since 1972, the Long Beach Rescue Mission has provided food, clothing, shelter and spiritual guidance to thousands of homeless and destitute people in the Long Beach area. The mission’s goal is to provide loving care and spiritual guidance to those who wish to overcome the cycle of homelessness and find purpose, direction and hope in their lives. Individuals are encouraged to find jobs or enter the mission's one year New Life Program, which helps them to deal with substance abuse issues and to chart a more positive direction for their lives.
The Long Beach Rescue Mission is divided into two main facilities, the men’s shelter, known as the Samaritan House and the 40-bed women’s shelter known as the Lydia House. Both facilities offer regular opportunities to serve throughout the year. SeaCoast Gracers have prepared meals, participated in the Chapel Service, completed service projects and helped out at holiday and special events. This is an excellent opportunity for small groups to serve together! For more information on how to get involved, please contact contribute@seacoastgrace.org.
Precious Life Shelter is located just around the corner from SeaCoast Grace, off Katella Ave. It is an emergency, transitional or long term single parent program that provides a safe environment for the adult pregnant women who have no place to live. Residents work towards self-reliance, for themselves and their children, whether they decide to keep the child, or place the child up for adoption.
Various volunteer options exist as a mentor, tutor, birth coach, thrift store worker, health and education instructor and child care provider. Precious Life also needs clerical support and maintenance help. To learn more check out preciouslifeshelter.org. To get involved, contact our ministry lead, Andrea Thomas, by email.
Each year, over 50 SeaCoast Gracers have the opportunity to be ministers of God’s love as volunteers at Royal Family Kids’ Camp. RFKC is a weeklong resident camp for abused and neglected children, ages 7-11, from our area’s foster care system. At camp, the children’s interaction with caring and compassionate volunteers is often the first positive experience they have had with adults. These camps have served as turning points in the lives of countless children, replacing cycles of abuse and neglect with love and hope. To learn more about our local ministry of Royal Family Kids’ Camp visit cypress.rfkc.org.
Our camp is funded by the generosity of individuals, families, and businesses. We invite you to lend a hand to these deserving children by giving a tax-deductible donation. The check may be written to SeaCoast Grace Church-RFKC. On behalf of the children whose futures you will brighten, we thank you.
To learn how you can make a difference in a hurting child’s life, please contact Kathy Kou at 714.761.5100 x222 or by email.
Serve the City is an annual event in which churches in the greater Long Beach area join together to demonstrate the power of God's love through acts of service. Each spring, individual churches identify one or more projects that serve non-profits and neighborhoods in practical ways. They provide the leadership, resources and volunteers to accomplish those projects on the work day, which usually occurs in mid-May. You may join SeaCoast Grace’s team, or work with a partner church on another service project. Regardless of how you get involved, we hope you will join us as we Serve the City and reflect God’s grace, love and compassion in Long Beach.
For more information or to register email contribute@seacoastgrace.org
We Care of Los Alamitos is a non-profit organization that pools the resources of the community to meet the emergency needs of families and individuals. Located just around the corner from SeaCoast Grace, We Care is sponsored by local churches, community groups, corporations and concerned citizens. It helps families from Northwest Orange County including the cities of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Cypress and Stanton. Assistance is provided in the form of rental/motel assistance, utility assistance, payment of DMV fees, food, personal care items, clothing and more.
Several volunteer opportunities exist at We Care, including providing administrative support, helping out with food distribution and managing food drives at SeaCoast Grace that benefit We Care. To learn more, please contact contribute@seacoastgrace.org.
