By David Wilson, Youth from Glendale First United Methodist Church
Sierra Service Project, no matter what the venue or amount of time, always leaves you with something uniquely memorable. Being brought up in Los Angeles, I had formed in my mind a picture of what to expect from “Downtown LA”. However, as is always the case with SSP, my eyes were opened to a different side of the community.
My team started Saturday by working on a garden outside a Police Station for a nonprofit organization called A Place Called Home (APCH), a safe haven for children and youth from around Los Angeles. Children come to take art classes, dance classes and a number of other enriching activities after school. After our work we visited the main headquarters of the organization and heard some incredible stories about the impact they have on the surrounding area.
Just as A Place Called Home was a hidden jewel in Los Angeles, Solano Canyon Community Garden, run by Al Renner, was an unexpected oasis. From Saturday afternoon till our departure on Sunday we did a number of tasks around the five acre garden. Being able to simply walk through such a beautiful place reminded me of just how much of God’s work is around us that we just simply drive by, literally in this case, with the freeway running right around the garden.
Through this Weekend of Service I have seen the other side of Los Angeles that does not get talked about, but what is behind the scenes impacting lives within the community. I would like to thank SSP and encourage all who have the opportunity to attend a Weekend of Service or, better yet, a week-long SSP trip.
Editor’s Note: Learn more about Weekends of Service. View the current availability of week-long experiences at our summer sites and register a group.
