Loving thy neighbor in action
Community Impact
Local Projects
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Friendship Shelter is a non-profit homeless services agency founded in 1988 and dedicated to “ending homelessness in South Orange County, one person at a time.” Friendship Shelter operates a full spectrum of services to end homelessness, including outreach, shelter, housing navigation, financial assistance, and permanent housing with supportive services. A “housing-first” and harm reduction approach is implemented to enhance the experience of each client who is served. Friendship programs stretch across 7 cities in So. Orange Co., and all are housing-focused and client-centered. Laguna Beach UMC has been a Friendship supporter, since its ecumenical beginning, 36 years ago.
Friendship Shelter
Located on Laguna Canyon Road and financially sponsored by the City of Laguna, the “ASL” provides temporary overnight shelter, showers and meals for 35-45 unhoused adults. Laguna UMC has joined with other local churches to create “dinner teams,” serving home-cooked meals for over 13 years. Volunteers can contact Kay Ostensen, at Laguna UMC.
Laguna Beach Alternative Sleeping Location
Located on PCH and Cress St., the Bridge Housing program has 30 beds and provides longer stays, as well as access to medical and mental healthcare assistance, home-made meals, transportation, and shower/laundry facilities. Laguna UMC provides dinners for Bridge residents, twice a month.
Bridge Housing
The clean-ups are held at Main Beach on PCH, alternate Sat. mornings. Laguna UMC provides coffee and donuts, t-shirts and trash collection equipment. All are encouraged to help, including church members, teen volunteers, the
City officials and local police officers, alongside the unhoused participants. Leadership for this idea, and its years of service to the community, is provided by Laguna UMC
member, Slade Carlton.
Saturday Beach Clean-ups
Local churches also provide meals and assistance to unhoused persons, needing shelter during winter months. The Shelter opens in one of the downtown churches whenever weather drops below 45 degrees or in high wind or rain conditions. Laguna UMC provides supplies and meals to support these persons. Volunteers can contact Dori Florence, at Laguna UMC.
Cold Weather Shelter
Friendship Shelter staff assist in securing CA vouchers to clients who have proven their eligibility, which includes low income, a disability, or chronic homelessness. Tenants move into fully furnished apartment units scattered throughout So. Orange County. Case managers provide day-to-day support, including life skills training, transportation to local resources for food, employment, health care needs, and disability benefits. Each year in May, Laguna UMC participates in “Love the World” Day, a project supported by the national United Methodist Church. Volunteers meet at church and head to a housing site to garden, paint, make repairs, and more, culminating the day by sharing a meal with the residents.
Permanent Housing
Illumination Foundation was founded in late 2007 to effectively lower the barriers for Orange County’s homeless population to access existing resources and services. In July 2008 IF launched the “Pre-Transitional Housing and Wrap-Around Program”, a comprehensive program that houses and supports homeless families with children in motels in Orange County. Our church is proud to have church members active with IF and participate in ongoing mission programs.
Illumination Foundation
The Age Well Senior Services Meals on Wheels “for-delivery” consist of hot, ready-to-eat meals, a cold meal to eat later in the day, and a breakfast meal for the following morning. Volunteers deliver meals Monday through Friday between the hours of 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM (weekend meals are also delivered on Friday)
AWSS Meals on Wheels
Monday thru Friday between the hours of 11:15AM and 12:45PM Volunteers plate and serve already prepared hot or cold lunch-time meals at the Laguna Beach Susi Q Center. We also manage the kitchen preparation and clean up afterwards; all under the excellent guidance of two Age Well on-site employees.
Susi Q Senior Center Meals
National Projects
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seek to put love and faith into action by building homes, communities and hope. Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.
Habitat for Humanity
SSP is a Christian non-profit organization providing life-changing experiences through acts of service repairing homes in rural and urban communities and serving in Central America. During SSP’s Domestic Summer Program each year, approximately 1,500 youth and 400 adult volunteers from 120 churches and over 40 paid summer staff live, worship and work together on six different project sites. Together, their work results in over 130 safer, drier and more comfortable homes and community centers.
Sierra Service Project
International Projects
This outstanding university includes students from 19 different nations in the continent of Africa nearly half of whom are international students. Africa University aspires to become a world class setting for leadership development in Africa, and 1% of each church’s apportionment is designated for this exceptional school.
Africa University
Laguna UMC members have participated in 5 work-teams to Monduli, in Tanzania. In the country’s rural communities living in poverty, less than 30% of the children are able to enroll in secondary education, and under 3% complete 11th or 12th grade. Orkeeswa School provides free education and is widely appreciated by students, who avidly study and treasure their successful school matriculation. Laguna Methodist work-teams to Tanzania have ranged from 6 participants, to 36! Travelers have enjoyed teaching, building, film-making, science projects, gardening, and “home visits” with the Maasai students, who are attending Orkeeswa.
Orkeeswa Secondary School
A major responsibility of Global Ministries is to connect the various parts of the Church as United Methodists engage in global mission. Global Ministries facilitates engagement in God’s mission. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the globe.
UMCOR