Quarterly Town Hall Updates
Year-Round Online Programs
Though we greatly miss in-person gatherings, we are committed to fostering community in all contexts. To that end, SSP will be launching several new online programs for our year-round season. Stay tuned for further details on each of these programs and how you can be involved!
Free Programs
ZZP with SSP:
- Objective: To foster community through low-barrier, fun, youth-led fellowship.
- Logistics: These hour-long monthly Zoom youth gatherings are organized by SSP’s Youth Advisory Council. While designed with teenagers in mind, these gatherings are open to entire households. Expect games and opportunities to make new friends!
- Get Involved: Register for details for the next gathering, the last Thursday of each month from 3-4pm Pacific.
Liaison Coffee Hour:
- Objective: To support leaders of churches and youth groups.
- Logistics: Join us on the first Friday of each month to connect virtually with fellow adult leaders over coffee!
- Get Involved: Visit our calendar for the next event’s Zoom details.
Staff Alumni Gatherings:
- Objective: To promote professional development and networking among the SSP staff alumni community.
- Logistics: These 1-2 hour monthly Zoom gatherings are organized by SSP’s Alumni Association. Expect opportunities to reconnect with staff from many generations, network professionally, seasonal activities, and the occasional SSP program update.
- Get Involved: Staff alumni should join our private Facebook group for Zoom details! Contact us if you do not have Facebook and want to learn more.
Fee Based
(credits & scholarships can be applied!)
Camino de San Diego:
- Objective: In partnership with Via International, Camino de San Diego offers participants the opportunity to learn from borderlands leaders engaged in “journeys toward justice” in San Diego and Tijuana. These leaders will serve as hosts and guides, sharing their spiritual journeys and their practices of working for justice at the grassroots. Participants will be encouraged and inspired to celebrate their own journeys toward justice.
- Logistics: The Camino de San Diego consists of six virtual sessions on Saturdays from 6/26 – 7/17, and Sunday, 7/25
- Get Involved: This intergenerational program is for high school and college students, young adults and older adults. The registration fee is a $60 non-transferrable, non-refundable deposit, plus commitment to participate in the team’s crowd fundraising campaign, with a team goal of raising $7,500. Learn more and register; limited to the first 18 participants.
Choose An SSP Adventure (CASA):
(in development)
- Objective: To engage deeply in group learning and discussion on topics our community is passionate about, including faith, advocacy, and service.
- Logistics: These virtual gatherings will be planned and led by SSP’s Leadership Academy fellows. Some discussion topics may be standalone events, while others will build on themselves over several gatherings. Participation fees will be based on either single event registration or a bundled purchase for multiple sessions.
- Get Involved: Stay tuned for details! Share your ideas for topics your group would be interested in.
Curriculum:
(in development)
- Objective: To support faith development in churches, youth groups, and individuals.
- Logistics: Program curriculum from past SSP’s summer themes will be available for purchase at varying levels, ranging from self-led PDFs to staff-led programming.
- Get Involved: Watch for curriculum to be added to SSP’s online store! In the meantime, program journals from 2017-2020 are available for purchase.
Leadership
Youth Advisory Council (YAC):
- Objective: To develop leadership skills in teenagers and ensure youth have an active voice in shaping SSP’s programs.
- Logistics: This program is facilitated by the SSP office, but participating youth are encouraged to be self-starters, leading accordingly.
- Get Involved: In the Spring, current high school students can complete an interest form for future council positions!
Leadership Academy:
- Objective: To cultivate leadership skills in SSP program staff and strengthen our community.
- Logistics: While typically occurring over 3 in-person weekends during the year-round season, this year’s Academy will take place digitally on a monthly basis, with additional opportunities to put leadership principles into practice in the SSP context. As a cohort structure has historically been essential for this program, interest-based small group pods will be a focus of the year. Academy sessions will be led by a variety of facilitators, ranging in professional background and SSP experience.
- Get Involved: Contact us with any questions, or if you are interested in leading any component of the Academy.
Community Advisory Council (CAC):
(in development)
- Objective: To ensure SSP’s partner communities have an active voice in our programs.
- Logistics: This program is facilitated by the SSP office.
- Get Involved: Community contacts will be directly invited to participate on the council. Email us if you are interested in representing your community.
Return to In-Person Service
In order to protect the safety of our partner communities, staff, and volunteers, we will be following California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy in order to determine when we will begin our return to in-person service.
- We will only serve when county risk is in the moderate or minimal categories
- Days of Service (no overnight programs) in Sacramento where we have funding and active partnerships
- Along with registration, information will be shared about pricing, credit allocation, COVID-19 refund policy, safety measures, etc.
- Pre-volunteer day safety online training
- Start with households and small pods of volunteers, limiting the number of people on site (including staff)
- Exterior work only, utilizing rented porta-potties and hand washing stations, maintaining distance between homeowner and volunteers
- Emphasis on social distancing and mask-wearing
- Masks and work gloves provided by SSP
We hope to have funding and partnerships to serve with additional communities. At this time, we are limited in where we can serve.
Online Summer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Check out the 2021 Online Summer Program page. Additional FAQs will be added as questions arise!
SSP will host a 4-week online program in summer 2021. Details include:
- Dates:
- Week 1: June 28 – July 2
- Week 2: July 5 – 9
- Week 3: July 12 – 16
- Week 4: July 19 – 23
- Registration opens March 15
- Sessions run Mondays through Fridays
- Full and partial days available for participants
We plan to host quarterly virtual town halls with updates as information becomes available. You can watch SSP’s January 2021 Town Hall recording and review the accompanying slides for details of our summer 2021 announcement.
SSP’s mission to build faith and strengthen community through service to others has taken many new expressions during this season! Our goals include:
- Sustain SSP’s financial stability to viably serve communities for years to come
- Prevent the spread of any COVID-19 cases through our programs
- Fortify community partnerships to best facilitate collaborative growth and development
With these goals in mind, our year-round programs have adapted to include these various online programs:
- ZZP with SSP
- Coffee Hour with Liaisons & Ministry Leaders
- Staff Alumni Gatherings
- Teaching English to Migrants
- Choose An SSP Adventure – in development
- Curriculum – in development
- Youth Advisory Council
- Community Advisory Council – in development
- Leadership Academy
SSP will use CDC, state, and local government guidelines regarding stay-at-home and gathering restrictions to determine when it is safe to resume scheduling in-person volunteer days. This will take shape as Days of Service in Sacramento in the first phase, before overnight programs are reestablished.
We thank you for your patience as we navigate a new normal for our program activities; we anticipate a series of changes to elevate our existing protocols that promote the extra health and safety precautions required.
- Online: All fees for online programs will be non-refundable and non-transferable, as these programs will be carried out remotely, unaffected by COVID-19.
- In-Person: We are revising our fee structures and policies for in-person programs. Details will be ready when in-person program announcements can be made.
All participant fee credits issued for the summer 2020 program are valid for use in any SSP program through September 2022. Our participant platform, MySSP, is undergoing system updates so credits can be applied directly towards active programs.
Group liaisons can now confirm their total credit available on their MySSP account. Individual participants can contact us for confirmation of their total credit available.
2020 high school seniors are invited to join in 2021 programs as young adult participants or Staff-in-Training! In all SSP programs, we strive to make accommodations as needed so participants get the most out of their experience. For 2020 seniors, we are happy to foster unique space for this group if interest is expressed.
There is no longer such a thing as “aging out” of SSP’s programs, as young adults are invited to participate in all intergenerational sessions.
You are always welcome to contact us with program ideas as SSP’s work takes on new shape during this time!
Additional questions? Contact us:
Last updated 4/5/21