(Missing Will & Sadie)
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Day 6: Ocean Beach
Here are two reflections from our last day:
Today was sadly the final day of the San Francisco Mission Trip. We met at Ocean Beach for a beach cleanup. After picking up trash and other unnatural objects, We set up a fire and a spike-ball net for a picnic/ afternoon hangout. After eating and playing, we read passages from the gospel and from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. We then reflected on our time together, and with all the people we served and served with. Then we had some delicious s'mores(thank you Callie for the perfect marshmallow :) ) and we burnt some gummy bears. A story that I think represents what we all learned from the trip happened in the Mission while we were serving at St. John's. We were walking with John (one of workers at St. John's) and we heard yelling down the alley we where standing in. I wrote off the person who was yelling as a crazy person and I ignored him as I imagine many of the people in our group did. However, when he passed our group, John talked with him and treated him like he would any other person. What I learned from this experience is that the people we see on the street, whether they are yelling in the street or passed out with a needle on the sidewalk, need to be treated with dignity and as their own person. Try not to have the mentality "beggars can't be choosers," because everyone deserves respect! I had a wonderful time on this mission trip and I learned so much about the city and the people that many citizens of San Francisco choose to ignore.
—Walter
We started and ended our final day of the Mission Trip at Ocean Beach, which was a nice change of pace from the other locations we have served at this week. The group spent the first part of the morning picking up trash on the beach. This was a really different type of service from the other work we have done because rather than serving one specific group of people, we were able to help the planet. After the beach cleanup, we started a bonfire because it was 2 degrees outside and we were very cold. The group ate lunch and some played spike ball, as others sat around listening to Stacy's Mom and other mission trip classics. After a couple of hours, we all gathered to pray together and reflect on the week. We read some beautiful passages, a few handpicked for our group, and we discussed our experiences from this week. We all agreed that this trip has shown us how sheltered our lives are. While it's so easy to ignore the tragedies that are happening in our own city, we have to fight against that and pour our love into all of God's people, no matter what situation they happen to be in. We wrapped up our conversation and moved on to watching various junk "foods" burn in the fire. Honestly, I didn't think that this would really be anything like a real mission trip, but by the end of the week, I felt the same amount of love and connection to the group as I did at the end of our trip to New Orleans two summers ago. Thank you to Mike and Riley for making this such a meaningful week for all of us!
-Katherine
Today was sadly the final day of the San Francisco Mission Trip. We met at Ocean Beach for a beach cleanup. After picking up trash and other unnatural objects, We set up a fire and a spike-ball net for a picnic/ afternoon hangout. After eating and playing, we read passages from the gospel and from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. We then reflected on our time together, and with all the people we served and served with. Then we had some delicious s'mores(thank you Callie for the perfect marshmallow :) ) and we burnt some gummy bears. A story that I think represents what we all learned from the trip happened in the Mission while we were serving at St. John's. We were walking with John (one of workers at St. John's) and we heard yelling down the alley we where standing in. I wrote off the person who was yelling as a crazy person and I ignored him as I imagine many of the people in our group did. However, when he passed our group, John talked with him and treated him like he would any other person. What I learned from this experience is that the people we see on the street, whether they are yelling in the street or passed out with a needle on the sidewalk, need to be treated with dignity and as their own person. Try not to have the mentality "beggars can't be choosers," because everyone deserves respect! I had a wonderful time on this mission trip and I learned so much about the city and the people that many citizens of San Francisco choose to ignore.
—Walter
We started and ended our final day of the Mission Trip at Ocean Beach, which was a nice change of pace from the other locations we have served at this week. The group spent the first part of the morning picking up trash on the beach. This was a really different type of service from the other work we have done because rather than serving one specific group of people, we were able to help the planet. After the beach cleanup, we started a bonfire because it was 2 degrees outside and we were very cold. The group ate lunch and some played spike ball, as others sat around listening to Stacy's Mom and other mission trip classics. After a couple of hours, we all gathered to pray together and reflect on the week. We read some beautiful passages, a few handpicked for our group, and we discussed our experiences from this week. We all agreed that this trip has shown us how sheltered our lives are. While it's so easy to ignore the tragedies that are happening in our own city, we have to fight against that and pour our love into all of God's people, no matter what situation they happen to be in. We wrapped up our conversation and moved on to watching various junk "foods" burn in the fire. Honestly, I didn't think that this would really be anything like a real mission trip, but by the end of the week, I felt the same amount of love and connection to the group as I did at the end of our trip to New Orleans two summers ago. Thank you to Mike and Riley for making this such a meaningful week for all of us!
-Katherine
Friday, June 25, 2021
Day 5: St. John the Evangelist
Here are two separate reflections from our service on Day 5.
Today we volunteered at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist in the Mission District. We learned about the Gubbio Project/ The Sacred Sleep Project, which St.John's takes part in. During the nighttime, the Mission District's streets are dangerous, and unsheltered people often have to stay up at night in order to be safe and to watch over their possessions. The Gubbio project's mission is to give unsheltered people a safe place within the Church to sleep, relax, and eat during the daytime. When we arrived at the Church, we split into two groups- my group deep cleaned the kitchen by wiping down the counters, the shelves, washing the many, many coffee pots, and cleaning the exhaust hood above the stove. The other group worked outside tidying the garden by picking up trash and removing the weeds. When we were done working, into two groups to grab lunch at either the Pupuseria and Pancho Villa or Pica Pica.
After lunch, we explored around the Mission District. Having attended elementary school in the Mission District, it was interesting to see how the neighborhood that I used to visit almost every day has changed since I graduated elementary school in 2015. We had a conversation about the Mission District, and how it has been and still is undergoing massive gentrification. We discussed how this can cause the displacement of people living there. To wrap up our excursion, we explored the mural alley. We then went back to the Church and finished our day by playing card games until it was time to go home.
-Meryt
Today our group headed back to the Mission District to work for St. John's Episcopal Church and their Sacred Sleep program. We were helping out with the Gubbio Project, a program that allows homeless people in the district to come inside the church and sleep during the day when they and their things can be safe from the threats of the streets. We were put to work cleaning the grounds of the church; picking up trash, scrubbing down surfaces, and sprucing up the area. After a morning full of hard work, we went our separate ways for lunch and reconvened at St. John's to eat and talk. A guide and coordinator from the church offered to take us on a tour of the Mission District murals, and we spent the afternoon discussing the history of the area and looking at the beautiful art people had put up.
Working for the Gubbio Project was an interesting experience. It was different from some of the other forms of service we've done because we weren't directly working with the people we were helping, nor were we doing something that directly impacted them. Cleaning was a very different experience from bagging food and distributing necessities, but it was still important service and it was very satisfying to do. Looking at the mural art was also an interesting experience because we got to see how different people are affected by the injustices in our world and how they communicate their personal experiences.
-Annie
Today we volunteered at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist in the Mission District. We learned about the Gubbio Project/ The Sacred Sleep Project, which St.John's takes part in. During the nighttime, the Mission District's streets are dangerous, and unsheltered people often have to stay up at night in order to be safe and to watch over their possessions. The Gubbio project's mission is to give unsheltered people a safe place within the Church to sleep, relax, and eat during the daytime. When we arrived at the Church, we split into two groups- my group deep cleaned the kitchen by wiping down the counters, the shelves, washing the many, many coffee pots, and cleaning the exhaust hood above the stove. The other group worked outside tidying the garden by picking up trash and removing the weeds. When we were done working, into two groups to grab lunch at either the Pupuseria and Pancho Villa or Pica Pica.
After lunch, we explored around the Mission District. Having attended elementary school in the Mission District, it was interesting to see how the neighborhood that I used to visit almost every day has changed since I graduated elementary school in 2015. We had a conversation about the Mission District, and how it has been and still is undergoing massive gentrification. We discussed how this can cause the displacement of people living there. To wrap up our excursion, we explored the mural alley. We then went back to the Church and finished our day by playing card games until it was time to go home.
-Meryt
Today our group headed back to the Mission District to work for St. John's Episcopal Church and their Sacred Sleep program. We were helping out with the Gubbio Project, a program that allows homeless people in the district to come inside the church and sleep during the day when they and their things can be safe from the threats of the streets. We were put to work cleaning the grounds of the church; picking up trash, scrubbing down surfaces, and sprucing up the area. After a morning full of hard work, we went our separate ways for lunch and reconvened at St. John's to eat and talk. A guide and coordinator from the church offered to take us on a tour of the Mission District murals, and we spent the afternoon discussing the history of the area and looking at the beautiful art people had put up.
Working for the Gubbio Project was an interesting experience. It was different from some of the other forms of service we've done because we weren't directly working with the people we were helping, nor were we doing something that directly impacted them. Cleaning was a very different experience from bagging food and distributing necessities, but it was still important service and it was very satisfying to do. Looking at the mural art was also an interesting experience because we got to see how different people are affected by the injustices in our world and how they communicate their personal experiences.
-Annie
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Day 4: SF/Marin Food Bank Part 2
Today we headed out to North Beach to volunteer with the SF Marin Food Bank at one of their popups. We worked with many other volunteers on outfitting together grocery bags for people who might not be able to afford or do not have easy access to fresh foods. We worked for two hours creating over 500 bags that included onions, carrots, potatoes, lentils, peanut butter, and a few other foods. During our shift we learned that 1 in 4 households in San Francisco rely on the foodbank for much of their food, and that during covid more than 60,000 people have started getting food from their pop-up pantries or delivery service, having them provide groceries for over 200,000 people per week.
Once our shift was over we grabbed some lunch from local restaurants, and headed over to Washington Square Park to eat, and reflect on our volunteering experience today. We then wandered to find some gelato, and we ended up going to a store that had some interesting flavors including one that was the unique combination of olive oil and raspberry. After trying to finish our gelato before the sun melted it all, we headed out on a fun scavenger hunt where we explored all over North Beach and Chinatown. We ended the day back in Washington Square park where we played football, and tried to avoid getting sprayed by the sour candy sprayers that some people got at the candy store.
—Noelle
Once our shift was over we grabbed some lunch from local restaurants, and headed over to Washington Square Park to eat, and reflect on our volunteering experience today. We then wandered to find some gelato, and we ended up going to a store that had some interesting flavors including one that was the unique combination of olive oil and raspberry. After trying to finish our gelato before the sun melted it all, we headed out on a fun scavenger hunt where we explored all over North Beach and Chinatown. We ended the day back in Washington Square park where we played football, and tried to avoid getting sprayed by the sour candy sprayers that some people got at the candy store.
—Noelle
Service for the SF/Marin Foodbank
Day 4: SF/Marin Food Bank
We started off the day working with the SF/Marin Food Bank at their popup located in North Beach. We began by preparing bags to be filled with groceries. After having prepared all of the bags, we, along with other volunteers, formed a line to fill grocery bags with different types of groceries, such as onions, carrots and peanut butter. As we did this, we had to check the food for quality, for instance, making sure that we were not including rotting food in the grocery bags. After working at the popup for a few hours, we made our way over to Washington Square Park and then split up into different groups from there to grab lunch from different places. We ate lunch all together at the park, then got some gelato (one flavor of which was a very interesting raspberry and olive oil combination…). From there, we split into two teams to start our scavenger hunt, which took us all over North Beach and Chinatown to find the answers to different questions based off of different clues.
While working at the Food Bank Popup we learned that the SF Marin Food Bank serves thousands and thousands of families each week, and overall serves about 25% of families in San Francisco. I had no idea that this many people in San Francisco depend on food banks, and it prompted me to think further about how unjust and broken our systems must be if there are this many people who can not afford basic necessities to live. Throughout the week, we have had a lot of conversations about how many people in our city and everywhere have to chose between paying for food or for a place to live, and I was reminded of this when learning about how many people rely on the SF/Marin Food Bank. We also discussed how people of different races and ages can disproportionately face barriers keeping them from being able to afford life necessities. For instance, we discussed how many people at the food bank were people who had worked all of their lives only to have to rely on a food bank after retiring due to increases in the cost of living. Overall, it was such an important experience and opportunity to learn so much and do some really important service.
⁃Anhai
While working at the Food Bank Popup we learned that the SF Marin Food Bank serves thousands and thousands of families each week, and overall serves about 25% of families in San Francisco. I had no idea that this many people in San Francisco depend on food banks, and it prompted me to think further about how unjust and broken our systems must be if there are this many people who can not afford basic necessities to live. Throughout the week, we have had a lot of conversations about how many people in our city and everywhere have to chose between paying for food or for a place to live, and I was reminded of this when learning about how many people rely on the SF/Marin Food Bank. We also discussed how people of different races and ages can disproportionately face barriers keeping them from being able to afford life necessities. For instance, we discussed how many people at the food bank were people who had worked all of their lives only to have to rely on a food bank after retiring due to increases in the cost of living. Overall, it was such an important experience and opportunity to learn so much and do some really important service.
⁃Anhai
Service at St. Anthony’s
Day 3: St. Anthony’s
—John & WillToday, the mission group met at Saint Anthony's in the Tenderloin District to sort and distribute clothes that have been donated to those in need through a free clothes program for those in need. A few things stood out when we first arrived at St. Anthony's: how they had security at the entrance and how all the doors were locked. Next, a bulletin board was placed directly opposite the front door containing posters labeled "MISSING" with a different person's photo below. The volunteer work consisted of sorting clothes that we deem quality enough to wear ourselves into bins, and distributing those clothes to guests in need. The sorting was split into 5 jobs; the first group was sorting clothes into separate piles: men's, women's, and children's clothing, shoes, and discard (undesirable clothing). Once the clothes had been sorted, the second group would place them into smaller bins sorting them more specifically (ie. shirts/tops, pants, jackets, etc). The third section was quality control before the clothes were placed onto a rack preparing them for the store. Once the clothes had all been sorted and placed onto a rack by the fourth station, the people at the fifth and final station placed clothes from the racks in the sorting room to distribute to guests of St. Anthony's and others. Some members of the group also volunteered in the store working directly with the guests who were looking for clothing. After we finished at St. Anthony's, the group walked up Jones Street to Grace Cathedral where we had a discussion about what we had done so far and what we saw in the Tenderloin, ate lunch, played cards, and tossed a football for the rest of the day. Overall, it was a very interesting experience being in a part of San Francisco we rarely experience, and interacting with those who live in the neighborhood. It was rewarding knowing that the work we did today directly impacts those in need and that the clothing we were providing would maintain the dignity of those who wear it.
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Day 2: Faith in Action Part 2
Today we went to Faith in Action in the Mission. We learned about the massive rent debt in San Francisco caused by the loss of jobs during COVID-19. Many people have been out of a job for a while and have gained a lot of debt. Faith in Action worked to help people with rent debt. They are holding an event tomorrow regarding the city of SF's program to help people who don't qualify for rental debt aid from the state. We made calls to people associated with Faith in Action to ask them to come to the event with SF Supervisors.
The work was monotonous as many calls would go to voicemail or the people on the other end would hang up before I could say anything. That did made it very satisfying when someone would answer the phone and hear me out. It was a very interesting experience.
—Wyatt
The work was monotonous as many calls would go to voicemail or the people on the other end would hang up before I could say anything. That did made it very satisfying when someone would answer the phone and hear me out. It was a very interesting experience.
—Wyatt
Service at Faith in Action
Day 2: Faith in Action
Today we went to Faith in Action in the Mission and worked on calling people on behalf of rent relief in San Francisco. We called about rent relief because of the problems of rent debt in San Francisco after the pandemic. We were each given a list of names to call and we all individually called people asking them if they would like to attend tomorrow's meeting with the supervisors. For lunch we went to a Taqueria and a Pupuseria that were located across the street. After lunch we went back to our location and finished up our calls.
It was very exciting to call people on behalf of Faith in Action. I had never done any service like it before and I really enjoyed it. I was nervous at first but once I got the hang of it, I found it very interesting and exciting. It was interesting to see how people reacted to our phone calls and if they could come to the meeting or not. Overall I thought it was a great experience and it was nothing like anything I've ever done before.
—Callie
It was very exciting to call people on behalf of Faith in Action. I had never done any service like it before and I really enjoyed it. I was nervous at first but once I got the hang of it, I found it very interesting and exciting. It was interesting to see how people reacted to our phone calls and if they could come to the meeting or not. Overall I thought it was a great experience and it was nothing like anything I've ever done before.
—Callie
Monday, June 21, 2021
Service at the Bayview Mission
Day 1: Bayview Mission
Out of sight, out of mind. I was reminded of this saying this morning at work when I accidentally forgot I placed a box of sparkling water underneath the shopping cart. Coincidently, this saying applied throughout the day. It is easy to forget about those around us or "problems" when they do not affect us or when we do not see them. However, out of sight and out of mind, does not mean it has stopped. Today, the SMV Youth Group did its best to address this issue of social injustice. We served at the Bayview Mission. The Mission was started by an Episcopal Deacon who turned her grandparents' house into a space to distribute food & other supplies needed by the community. During our day, we helped clean boxes in order to distribute journals, notebooks, lined paper, markers, pencils, pens, glue sticks, etc. to families in need. We cleaned the yard of the house which distributes all these supplies by moving plants, a toilet, a bathtub, and fitting bricks under a child's playhouse. People packed lunches and filled little hand sanitizer bottles all of which would later be passed out to those who came by the house or later be delivered to homes around the neighborhood.
A service such as today's brings to mind my privilege. My privilege of waking up each morning knowing I will have food on my table, knowing if I need school supplies I have the money to go to the store to buy them, and knowing that I don't need to choose between going hungry or having a shelter. The most important part of realizing this privilege is that I can do something with it. I realize that everyone should have, but does not have equal access to economic opportunity. Throughout this week, I hope to learn more about my City's societal inequalities and learn what small part I can do to help those in my community.
—Sofia
A service such as today's brings to mind my privilege. My privilege of waking up each morning knowing I will have food on my table, knowing if I need school supplies I have the money to go to the store to buy them, and knowing that I don't need to choose between going hungry or having a shelter. The most important part of realizing this privilege is that I can do something with it. I realize that everyone should have, but does not have equal access to economic opportunity. Throughout this week, I hope to learn more about my City's societal inequalities and learn what small part I can do to help those in my community.
—Sofia
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