By Smith River Staff Bruce Ferguson (Site Director), Austin Jones (Spiritual Life Coordinator), Erin Kistler, Colleen Mirza, and Alli Muesling This summer was our eighth year partnering with the Smith River and Del Norte County communities. Over the years, SSP has cultivated deep connections with community members and partner organizations in this region to serve […] Continue Reading
Sierra Service Project (SSP) is an ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization, providing life-changing service projects in low-income communities. This summer, we invited high school, middle school, young adult and intergenerational participants to join our young adult summer staff in exploring faith, building bridges between communities, and having fun right where we were. Learn more about our 2020 summer theme, Grounded.
Meet the SSP team, learn about our 45 year history working with young people and communities across the western US, and our theology.
Explore. Build. Grow.
Help Us Finish Our Year!
September is the final month of our fiscal year! Thanks to the ongoing generosity of our donors and our participant groups, SSP’s finances are in a stable position, despite the many hurdles that COVID-19 has created for our organizations and programs.
Like most, we have had to re-think the way we do almost everything. The irony is not lost on us that we asked participants to join in the SSP community by turning ondevices we usually ask them to give up for the week! Still, that is what the times have called for, and adaptability and flexibility have always been a big part of the spirit of SSP.
“It was very helpful in these hard times to hear and be part of something that brought me back to thinking about my faith.”
– Graduated senior from San Diego, CA
To continue investing in our youth, young adult leaders, and partner communities, we hope to raise $30,000 in the next 30 days! Please consider making a financial gift to ensure SSP can continue exploring, building, and growing in 2021.
Other ways you can support SSP:
- Use coupon code “SEPTEMBER” in SSP’s store to get 15% off your order.
- Your employer may provide a matching gift! Search for your employer and multiply your impact.
- Support the Leadership Development Fund. Donors allow us to continue investing in our young adult summer staff! In 2021 these funds will support SSP’s Leadership Academy; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training, and so much more.
SSP Year-Round and Summer Season: 2020-2021
It’s safe to say 2020, our 45th year of service, hasn’t quite shaped up the way we all expected. Still, we’ve made new friends, connected remotely with our partner communities, hosted Facebook Live songtimes, and reflected on how we are Grounded, like our summer theme.
What’s next for SSP in 2020 and 2021? To answer that question, we need input from you!
This survey is designed to understand the present needs and interests of SSP participants and partners so we can design our upcoming programs to best meet these needs.
All members of the SSP community are invited and encouraged to fill out the survey by Wednesday 9/30 to have their feedback included in our program planning process.
Inside the Margins: SSP E-News
Email us if you have a story to share with the SSP community! Inside the Margins is published the first Wednesday of the month. Here are our most recent newsletters:
SSP Blog
Spiritual Sandwiches are published every week that you can use to discuss with your loved ones and faith communities, written by SSP staff over the ages. We invite you to share in fellowship and reflection on these questions with family, friends, in person at home, or over video chat with your faith community!
Community Crossing: Lake County
By Lake County Summer Staff Kelsie Currie (Site Director), Em Harvey (Spiritual Life Coordinator), Meghan Andrus, Jordan Garvine, Catie Parker, Evan Rosenblum Our summer theme “Grounded” revolved around growth – exploring what we need to grow, seeking out healthy environments and challenges, choosing how to be present, and spreading growth into our communities and daily […] Continue Reading
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Summer Program:
High School & Middle School Youth, Integenerational Teams
Weekends of Service:
High School & Middle School
Alternative Breaks:
College Groups
Summer Staff:
Young Adults
Staff-in-Training:
High School Graduates
