We are happy to be involved in various organizations throughout the city, the country, and the world. Click the tabs below to view:
Harbor Interfaith provides emergency shelter for homeless families (mostly women and children). They provide interim housing (up to 9 months) for persons who are training to re-enter the work force. They provide after school and day care for participants in this program. The also operate the FISH program, which FPC member Betsy Barnhart started with her friends in the basement of our church.
Meals on Wheels is a low cost meal delivery service for aged and disabled citizens of San Pedro. Meals on Wheels began in England during the Second World War and spread to San Pedro 1972 when FPC Member Dorothy Hoffman and First Methodist member Beth Ackerson recommended this program to Church Women United, a large ecumenical group. Meals on Wheels is now governed by an independent board. Their kitchen and business office have been located in our church building from the start.
Rainbow Services provides temporary housing for battered women who are trying to escape an abusive relationship. They also offer counseling and referral. Their ultimate goal is to break the cycle of family violence. Rainbow began as a ministry of the Harbor Area YWCA.
Teen Challenge provides a strongly evangelical one year residential alcohol and drug treatment and rehabilitation program for women and men. By applying biblical principles, Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally-sound, emotionally-balanced, socially-adjusted, physically-well and spiritually-alive. All adult services are offered at no cost to the participant. The adult women centers are in Lynwood, Bakersfield and Ventura. Men centers are in Santa Ana, San Diego, Shafter, Reedley and Riverside. Teen Challenge also has a new adolescent boys home in Santa Ana serving 13-17 year olds and a ministry leadership training center in South Gate.
The Toberman House is the one of oldest humanitarian efforts in our region. Begun by a former mayor of Los Angeles, Toberman started in the inner city and moved into San Pedro in 1938. They provide a wide variety of services to low income residents in and around our local housing project, Rancho San Pedro, including child care, after school tutoring, youth recreation, family counseling, gang prevention, and gang intervention. They also operate a food panty and clothes closet for the poor. Their four building facility was rebuilt “from the ground up” at the conclusion of a seven million dollar fundraising effort in 2005.
Dedicated to providing for the needs of orphaned children through sustainable projects owned and operated by the local people, the vision of Advocates for Africa's Children is to demonstrate Christ’s love for the children through practical support, nutritious food, and educaiton. AFAC encourages and supports the churches of Swaziland to care for orphans of AIDS and help thecommunity suffering from the pandemic and resulting poverty.
A Presbyterian tradition for almost seventy years, our Christmas Joy Offering is split between racial ethnic colleges and church workers who are in need beacuse of low retirement incomes or personal crises.
Ghost Ranch is an ecumenical Retreat Center (operated by the PCUSA) covering 21,000 acres of untamed wilderness in New Mexico. It offers adults an opportunity to explore theology, arts, and science while their children play. It was originally owned by Arthur and Pheobe Pack, whose guests included Ansel Adams, Leopold Stokowsky, John Wayne, and Georgia O'Keefe, who painted several southwestern landscapes here. The original campus is in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Their second one is located in a remodeled retirement home in Sante Fe.
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety. In many projects, volunteers work with families to build or refurbish their own homes. We have partnered with Habitat to build homes in Long Beach and Harbor City.
The Heifer Project gives chickens, cows, and goats to needy rural families throughout the world. Each recipient is expected to donate at least one of the offspring of these healthy animals to others who are in need.
Interserve is a network of Christians from all over the world who use their professional skills to serve people of Asia and the Arab world - getting alongside them in tackling material, physical, mental and spiritual needs. From its inception in 1852, Interserve has put great emphasis on integration of word and deed wherever they serve. Our interserve missionaries are Paul & Pat Stock, who serve the "untouchable" classes in India. Among other things, Paul trains Indian nationals in the use of high-tech audio and visual equipment.
The Navigators is an international ministry that began in the armed services of the United States. The Navigators create small group Bible Studies that follow a very systematic approach to evangelism and discipleship. Our Navigator is Tom Steers, who facilitates missions in Southern California and Asia.
O.C. (“One Challenge”) International is a missionary organization dedicated to mobilizing godly and effective leaders to reach all nations. Their goal is to reach whole nations through through ministries of research, training, motivation, and mobilization. Our O.C. missionaries are Jay & Sarah Gearheart. They are planting churches in Soweto, South Africa.
Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with people experiencing need. Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities. Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic event. PDA focuses on the long term recovery of disaster impacted communities, provides training and disaster preparedness for presbyteries and synods, and connects partners locally and internationally with key organizations active in the response — United Nations, NVOAD (National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster), World Food Program, Red Cross, FEMA and others.
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
SIM (“Serving In Mission”) is a global community of interdenominational Christians, passionate about reaching people with the love of Jesus Christ. Their motto is "by prayer." Our SIM missionaries, ***** and ****, are serving in Nigeria. ****** is a pediatrician, and a high percentage of the children he serves are now suffering from AIDS.
Founded in 1946, Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States. Working in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS works worldwide to meet human needs and foster self-reliance for all whose way is hard. CROP WALKS raise money for local hunger-fighting agencies as well as the international relief and development efforts of Church World Service.
****** indicates missionaries names may be protected from disclosure due to potential persecution.
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