Other dates for this site include:

Demographics

Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay, the city of San Francisco is dotted with landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and a scenic downtown skyline. Popular neighborhoods such as Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown and Russian Hill offer unique shopping, scenery and fine dining. While tourism is by far the most important industry in this city, San Francisco also is home to a large number of banking and finance companies. Today, this city of 744,041 has a diverse racial makeup of whites (44.5 percent), Asians (31 percent), Hispanics (14 percent) and African-Americans (8 percent). San Francisco was once believed to have the highest number of homeless individuals per capita of any major city in the United States. While local government programs appear to have reduced the homeless population in recent years, there still is a long way to go. A one-night homeless count in 2007 revealed 2,771 people on the streets and another 3,606 in shelters or transitional housing. San Francisco’s median home price of $396,400 makes home-ownership essentially unattainable for the nearly 12 percent of the population that lives below the poverty level. You’re invited to San Francisco for a life-changing experience as you work to serve others in this beautiful city.

About the Ministry

Our goal is to partner with local ministries and programs such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, elderly and children centers that seek to address the very basic needs of San Francisco's residents. We desire to serve unselfishly, by doing whatever will truly help the community. Depending on the organization’s needs, some participants will spend all four days serving at one location, while others will rotate between ministry sites. 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. Due to multiple church groups and varying needs of the ministries we partner with, we cannot confirm until all groups arrive on site exactly what service 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. A list of evening/cultural activities we have done in the past include: visit the Golden Gate Bridge; take part in a community educational experience; go on a hike up Mount Davidson; and attend a community Bar-B-Q. 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. We try to arrange for free evening activities, but from time to time, an additional cost may be required for an activity. Please plan to bring an additional $10 per person to cover any extra costs. We will confirm the details closer to your trip.

Ministry Week

Partnering with local ministries.

Mileage

There is an airport in San Francisco, as well in Oakland, San Jose (44 miles), Santa Rosa (58 miles), Stockton (79 miles) and Sacramento (91 miles).

Transportation & Travel

Each group is responsible for transportation to and from the site, and during the mission week. San Francisco can only accommodate standard 15 passenger vans or smaller and cannot accommodate trailers.

Additional Information

If you would like more information on what there is to do in San Francisco and surrounding areas before or after your trip, check out the following Web sites: www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com and www.sanfrancisco.com.