Faith Based Service

FAITH IN SERVICE
Office of Religious Life, USC
www.usc.edu/religiouslife

Ways to serve people in need in the neighborhood around USC, through local religious congregations and groups.  This is not a comprehensive list – any suggestions to add, please contact Associate Dean, Rev. Jim Burklo – burklo@usc.edu.

Map of the religious congregations inside the USC “Good Neighbors” boundary around the campus: follow the "Good Neighbors" link.


Fall 2009

Special volunteer event:  BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY AND HEALTH FAIR for kids – 9 am – 3 pm on Sept 12 at FIRST AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH’s “Renaissance Center”, 1968 W. Adams near Western.  Contact Cyndia Soloway, 323-730-7727 to volunteer.  Over 1,000 children will receive backpacks with school supplies and will be given health checkups.  This is a great event for religious clubs to volunteer as a group.  First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) is an historically black congregation that has a long tradition of community development and organizing work in the neighborhood near campus.

Emergency food distribution:

These are programs that can use individual volunteers as well as groups.

Manantial de Amor Church – (Hispanic charismatic Baptist):  2120 Estrella Ave at 23rd.  The church distributes food to people in need on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 8:30-9:30 am.  Contact Mrs. Fortis at 213-746-6900 to volunteer.

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, across the street from the Downey Way entrance to USC on Vermont St – 3651 S. Vermont, 323-731-2157.  Groceries distributed on the 4th Saturday (help is needed).  Hot meals served on Tuesday and Thursdays at noon.  Sack lunches distributed on Mon, Wed, and Fri from 11- 1.  http://www.stmarkslutheranla.org -  Call to volunteer.

“A Community Place” is a project at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, conducted by the United Ministry at USC - students serve the homeless, working poor, seniors and children in the nieghborhood by providing healthy bag lunches, bus tokens for appointments, referrals to jobs, health centers, shelters, and food or clothing distributors.

The Bread Project – part of Kairos Church campus ministry (evangelical Christian) at USC, - bakes and distributes free, high-quality fresh bread at the corner of Ellendale and 29th in the neighborhood north of campus.  To volunteer, contact student Ben Gordon. 

Youth and tutoring programs in programs run by local congregations:

Homeboy Industries (founded by Father Greg Boyle, a Catholic priest) -130 W. Bruno St, downtown – 323-526-1254 - http://www.homeboy-industries.org - many gang-prevention programs - tutors needed for its charter school and education programs.

World Impact (evangelical Christian) – 1677 W. 20th St at Vermont (just north of Highway 10) – www.worldimpactla.org - World Impact has several programs serving low-income families that can use volunteers as individuals or groups, on a one-time basis or ongoing basis.  The center runs a school for neighborhood children and needs volunteer tutors to help them with reading and other subjects.  Contact Tim Goddu  - 323-735-3400 x 301.

Holman United Methodist Church (historically African-American) - 3320 W. Adams, 323-731-0140 – has a job development program for teenagers - and other volunteer opportunities, as well.

Umma Community Clinic (Muslim-related nonprofit) – 711 W. Florence - needs volunteers to read to children in its waiting room – 323-967-0375. 



Health-related volunteer opportunities through faith-based organizations:

First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church (see above) – health screenings for children, ongoing health screenings in the church and community.

World Impact – see above – conducts health screenings and provides basic medical/dental care in congregations and in the community.

Umma Community Clinic (Muslim-related nonprofit) – see above - Basic medical services, free – 323-967-0375. 

Homeboy Industries – (see above) – tattoo removal clinic needs help - tattooremoval@homeboy-industries.org



Legal volunteering, faith-based:

First African Methodist Episcopal Church (see above) – the church offers a free legal clinic for people in the community -  http://famechurch.org/free_legal.html .


Community organizing for economic justice, faith based:

CLUE – Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice – www.cluela.org - 464 Lucas Ave #202 – 213-481-3740 -  activists needed to participate in campaigns for worker and environmental justice.