Corazones Y Manos Service Learning Trip to Los Angeles

January 1-9, 2009 -- Dates for 2010 trip TBD

Join Campus Ministry on a 9-day service learning trip to Los Angeles, California during J-Break. Participants will be staying at the St. Vincent's Cardinal Manning Center which is a homeless shelter/drop-in center located in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles. While in L.A. we will visit various social service agencies serving the poor, and ostracized in their community. Through interactions with those who use these services and those who provide them, we will get a first hand look at homelessness, poverty and the issues that cause it and the role we can each take to bring about change. By integrating faith we will also get a sense of radical hope through the eyes of the Gospel and deepen our own understanding in relation to today's world and its challenges.

Some of the places we have visited in the past:

Homeboy Industries, East L.A. http://www.homeboy-industries.org/
Blessed Sacrament, Hollywood http://hollywoodsocialservices.org/
St. Vincent's/Cardinal Manning Center http://www.svdpla.org/index.php?id=3

Trip Objectives:

1. To foster and enrich our faith and put that faith into action

2. To understand the economic, social and other conditions that cause homelessness and poverty in the United States

3. To humanize those who are impoverished, homeless and villainized

Trip Includes:

~ Round trip airfare to Los Angeles, California and transportation while in L.A.

~ Room and Board at St. Vincent's/Cardinal Manning Center

~ Other excursions around the Los Angeles area

Participant Information:

Participants will be expected to attend 3 - 4 pre-trip sessions to get acquainted with the group and understand more of the history of Skid Row, poverty and the issues of justice that will be our focus. Upon our return, students will also be asked to give presentations to various groups about the trip and our experiences while there. Cost of the trip is approximately $450 plus a small amount of spending money.

For more information or questions contact:

Nathan Langer x6010 or Jessica x6604

We are thankful for support from CSS Student Senate for this experience.