Other dates for this site include:

Demographics

Brooklyn is connected to Upper Manhattan by the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, as well as to nearby Staten Island by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens and Brooklyn Children’s Museum offer much to its residents and visitors alike. Even though this city of neighborhoods has a distinctive urban flavor, beaches and city parks offer relief from the city’s summer temperatures. But Brooklyn is not just a city of attractions and adventure. Within the hustle and bustle that makes up much of Brooklyn’s identity, there are numerous struggles for its residents. As in many large urban centers, affordable housing and the availability of viable jobs is a significant issue. Thirty percent of all New Yorkers live in Brooklyn, and 75% of those people rent the home they live in. Furthermore, 34% of children live below the poverty line. Many residents of Brooklyn wrestle daily with poverty, homelessness and with harsh economic realities.

About the Ministry

Our goal is to help meet the needs of the residents of this community by leading our own ministry projects, as well as by providing support and volunteers to already existing social service organizations. Participants will run a Kids Club and will have the opportunity to do work projects. Kids Club is a hands-on afternoon program led by your youth, offering high-energy games, crafts, skits, songs and interactive lessons all designed to help kids learn about Jesus. Work projects include minor home repair and painting projects. Groups will also work alongside numerous social service organizations to support children ministries, the elderly and the homeless. At the beginning of the ministry week, once on site, Adult Leaders will work with the Site Director to separate their participants into work crews. Your group will be mixed with the youth from other groups for their week of service. Because other churches will be joining you on your mission adventure, and because of the unique and varying needs of the ministries that we partner with, we cannot confirm until all groups arrive on site exactly what ministries your youth will be involved with. We ask that you come to serve with a willing and flexible spirit.

Activities

Evening activities during a YouthWorks week are designed to give participants insight into the lives of local residents and the culture of the area. Evening/cultural activities we have done in the past include: have a community BBQ; Visit Brooklyn Bridge; spend a night in the community and learn about poverty in the inner city, and Visit Coney Island. These are examples of what your group might partake in during your mission week. These examples are subject to change due to weather or availability. In case of change, suitable substitutes will be provided.

Ministry Week

Partnering with urban ministries and work at Kids Club.

Mileage

Brooklyn is in the heart of New York City, New York. The city has two airports located within the city, JFK International and La Guardia, with Newark International Airport located across the Upper Bay in Newark, NJ.

Transportation & Travel

Each group is responsible for transportation to and from the site, and during the mission week.

Additional Information

If you would like more information on what there is to do in Brooklyn and surrounding areas before or after your trip, check out these local travel Web sites: www.nyctourist.com or http://www.nycvisit.com.