Join us in: San Francisco, California 2023
Trip Information
DATE:
10/12/2023 - 10/15/2023
ESTIMATED COST:
$50 per person from Medford, OR
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
Please note: This is a men's only event due to YWAM's overnight facility restrictions.
This service project primarily focuses on repairing portions of YWAM's facility that require attention so that they can continue serving the San Francisco homeless community throughout the year.
During this trip, we will also spend time serving the homeless in the inner city around the YWAM base. This service will typically include handing out cups of hot chocolate, distributing toiletries and food, listening to others, praying for people and sharing the gospel.
Our team of Volunteers will travel to and from San Francisco together, work side by side making necessary repairs and improvements to YWAM's base, and share special times of fellowship as they serve the Lord by loving others through practical hands-on care.
TYPICAL SCHEDULE
Below is a basic schedule for the week, which we approach with flexibility because our ultimate focus is on relationships!
Thursday
10 A.M. – Meet at Helping Hands International offices (600 Whitman Place, Medford OR 97501), get into HHI bus, pray and drive to California as a team.
12 P.M. – Stop for lunch.
5 P.M. – Arrive at YWAM base in San Francisco, settle in and eat dinner.
Friday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting.
9:30 A.M. – Begin service project
5:30 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief
9-11 P.M. – Homeless outreach
Saturday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting.
9:30 A.M. – Begin service project
5:30 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief
9-11 P.M. – Homeless outreach
Sunday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
9:00 A.M. – Attend Church
11:00 A.M. – Head home
LODGING & FOOD
Lodging consists of dormitory style buildings, with pretty comfy mattress but, do not forget your pillow and sleeping bag. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared by YWAM staff, with the exception of Friday night dinner, when the group goes out to a local restaurant.
SUPPLY LIST
- Bible
- Bedding: sleeping bag, pillow, fitted sheet, alarm clock and ear plugs (if a light sleeper) etc.
- Bath: bath towel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, personal items, flip flops for shower etc.
- Clothes: work clothes, one nice (not dressy) outfit for church, jacket and/or sweater (cold at night), work gloves etc.
- Shoes: work shoes are preferred (e.g. no bare feet at any time) etc.
- Other: camera, hand sanitizer, water bottle etc.
DRESS CODE
- No undergarments showing at any time
- Recommend work pants and t-shirts
- Jackets and sweatshirts for evening outreach
HEALTH & SAFETY
Please click here for vaccination requirements and/or recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We also suggest you check with your personal health clinic or physician regarding what vaccines or medicines you may require while participating on this service project. Please note, if you do take prescription medicines, please check with your local pharmacist to ensure the medicines are not considered a controlled substance in the location you are traveling. Finally, please be sure to read HHI's COVID-19 policy requirements below.
The Story Behind the Project
“This cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California is the 15th-most populous city in the United States, and the fourth-most populous in California, with 883,305 residents, as of 2018.
It covers an area of about 46.89 square miles, making it the second most densely populated large U.S. city, and the fifth-most densely populated U.S. county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs. San Francisco is the 12th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States by population, with 4.7 million people, and the 4th-largest by economic output, with GDP of $549 billion in 2018.
However, despite its wealth, there is a large population of homeless.
Helping Hands International has been partnering with YWAM for more than a decade in this area by reaching out to the homeless and strengthening the outreach center in San Francisco. For example, in 2019 we installed new lighting, built new doorways, and repaired stairs etc.
In 2021, we plan to send another team to continue reaching out to homeless and restoring the local YWAM facility (where needed).
If you would like to join us this October, please register below. We know you will find this trip to be a life changing experience!”
– HHI Staff
Healthy & Safety
COVID-19
Helping Hands International requires each Volunteer planning to travel on a non-US project, or out of State project, to obtain a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to departure, IF you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or may have been recently exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Test results will need to be shared with individual HHI Team Leaders. However, you do NOT need to send results to our main office.
We also HIGHLY recommend all participants receive COVID-19 vaccinations prior to your trip overseas!
While Helping Hands International recognizes that vaccinations are a voluntary decision, we highly recommend all participants receive a COVID-19 vaccination, in large part because we do not want to bring the virus to a small or remote village that has little or no healthcare - the results could be devastating!
Helping Hands International also recommends you follow the country specific health and safety recommendations readily published by the CDC and Travel Alert program offered by the US State Department, as well as those recommended by your personal physician. You can find this information on your trip specific HHI web page (e.g. www.helpinghandsinternational.com/kenya or www.helpinghandsinternational.com/mexico etc) as well.
COVID–19
While COVID-19 requirements vary by location, and sometimes day by day, we will do our best to monitor and keep you abreast of testing requirements for each trip. Please also be aware that some countries may require you to provide a negative COVID test before leaving the USA and entering their country, as well as prior to departing their country to head back to the United States.
FAQ
Q: What if someone tests positive for COVID-19 in a foreign country and cannot fly home?
A: Although this scenario is unlikely, it is a possibility we need to be prepared for. If an HHI Volunteer tests positive for COVID-19 in a foreign country, that person (if a minor, with an adult) will need to stay in the country and quarantine for the amount of days required by local authorities (e.g. in some cases this is between 10-14 days.) Helping Hands International will arrange lodging for HHI Volunteer(s) who need to be quarantined, but the expense will be the responsibility of the traveler(s), not the nonprofit.
