With whom will we be sharing our lives?

Camp ReCreation: Camp ReCreation provides a residential summer camp program for its participants, ages 10-60+, to inspire fun, friendship, social interaction and spiritual growth – all while creating valuable respite for parents and caregivers.  Volunteers spend the week working in a 1-to-1 ratio with a camper who has a developmental disability.  Jesuit has a long-standing partnership with Camp Rec. Location: Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake. Transportation provided to and from camp.  http://camprecreation.org/summer-camps/ (CAMP) Cost $160

Camp Lotsafun:  For several years Amplify Life has been offering  special-needs campers, ages 7-70, a week of traditional camp activities that include arts & crafts, hiking, fishing, canoeing, sports, swimming, talent shows and campfires. It it’s one-of-kind experience as unique and special as the campers. Location: Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake. http://amplifylife.org/events-list/camp-lotsafun-at-eagle-lake-session-2/ (CAMP) Cost $160

Sacramento: We will serve with various non-profits who help those experiencing homelessness or severe economic hardship. From the service experience we intend to advocate with the Sacramento’s City Council and lobby at the state capitol in unison with those striving to improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Some of the non-profits we will be partnering with are Loaves & Fishes (www.sacloaves.org), the River City Food Bank (rivercityfoodbank.org), and Sacramento ACT (www.sacact.org). (LOCAL) Approximate cost: $325.

San Francisco: We will serve in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco at the St. Anthony’s Foundation (SAF) (www.stanthonysf.org). One of the many strengths of the (SAF) is the emphasis it provides on education for its volunteers. We will stay at St. Agnes Parish (www.saintagnessf.com) in the Haight/Ashbury district of SF. (LOCAL) Approximate cost $440

Salinas: The team will serve people experiencing hunger and homelessness, partnering with Dorothy’s Place (www.dorothysplace.org).  We will also explore issues faced by migrant farm workers and their children. Lodging will be at St. Francis Retreat House, San Juan Bautista, CA. (LOCAL) Approximate cost: $600

Los Angeles: The majority of our time will be spent preparing food, serving, and companioning people facing hunger, homelessness, and addiction on Skid Row. The non-profits we will work with include Midnight Mission (www.midnightmission.org), Union Rescue Mission (urm.org) and the Saint Francis Center (sfcla.org). We will also visit Dolores Mission and Homeboy Industries (www.homeboyindustries.org).  We will be staying in the business office of the Cardinal Manning Center (www.svdpla.org/pages/content-migration/2.-our-services/our-services—cardinal-manning-center). The CMC is a shelter for 60 men experiencing homelessness. (LOCAL) Approximate cost: $415

Portland: Our mornings will be spent serving people experiencing homelessness at St. Andre Bessette Parish (saintandrechurch.org/ways-to-volunteer/) in downtown Portland, Oregon. Our afternoons and evenings will be spent in service and companionship with members of the L’Arche Community (www.larche-portland.org), people living with physical and developmental disabilities. Lodging will be at Jesuit High School, Portland. (LOCAL) Approximate cost: $425

Tijuana: We will partner with Esperanza (www.esperanzaint.org), working side-by-side with local families to turn handmade concrete blocks into a permanent home. There will also be opportunity to learn about the immigration system, the local economy, and the reality of orphans in Tijuana. Lodging will be with Esperanza (La Posada). (DOMESTIC/BORDER) Approximate cost $1,150

Kansas City (Jerusalem Farm):  We will be living simply and giving of our time and energy to help others primarily with home maintenance and repair so that they may have adequate shelter. The Jerusalem Farm community (www.jerusalemfarm.org), which provides our housing, is led by an alumnus of Jesuit High School. (DOMESTIC/BORDER) Approximate cost: $1,350

Kino Border Initiative: Nogales, Arizona/Mexico: The Kino Border Initiative (www.kinoborderinitiative.org) works to provide humanitarian aid to recently deported migrants, advocate for policy change (in the U.S., Mexico, and beyond) that impacts migration, and educate about the complexities of the immigration system. Students provide direct service through meal service, and accompaniment of migrants through conversation. Students also meet with ranchers, border patrol officers, and participants in the court system (attorneys, judges) for dialogue with people impacted by migration and for reflection on their experience and response. (DOMESTIC/BORDER) Approximate cost: $1,360

West Virginia (Nazareth Farm): We will be partnering with the community at Nazareth Farm (www.nazarethfarm.org), who provide our housing, in an atmosphere of simple living and service.  We will assist neighbors in need with home maintenance and repair as well as work on the farm for self-sufficiency. (DOMESTIC/BORDER) Approximate cost $1,630

Chiapas: We will volunteer at Yo’onik Learning Center for Indigenous  Mayan Children in Zinacantan through the organization Natik. We will be spending time with the community at Angeles de Amor, a day program and working farm for people living with disabilities. We will also be experiencing the Mayan culture by visiting sites such as Chomula and the Mexican National Jungle. We will lodge at Angeles de Amor in the volunteer quarters we helped to fund with our donations over the past few years. (INTERNATIONAL) Approximate cost $1,900

Please note that the exact cost of the immersion is available in the application. Financial aid is available for students currently receiving tuition assistance. If cost is the only factor preventing participation in immersion, please contact Christian Service to have a conversation. We want all interested, qualified students to be able to participate in this program.  

Past Immersion Locations:

• Guatemala with International Samaritan
• Baton Rouge, LA
• New Orleans, LA