South Los Angeles, California

	Sierra Service Project launched its Urban project in South Los Angeles in 2004. Since then, each summer has been bigger and more successful than the one before. The South Los Angeles program site is relocating for the summer of 2012 to Rakestraw Memorial Community Education Center only two miles SE of our previous location; the Alternative winter and spring break program is also held at this community center.

Accommodations	Volunteers and staff are housed in the Rakestraw Memorial Community Education Center, located at 5139 S. Main Street about half of a mile east of the 110 Harbor Freeway. The center has a newly renovated gymnasium where volunteers will eat, sleep, do program and hang-out when we are not working or visiting sites in the city. Our facility is very secure and safe; South Los Angeles’ reputation for crime is greatly exaggerated. We have experienced no problems in the years SSP has worked in the area and expect none in the future.

Type of Work	SSP volunteers work on homes and community centers in the area surrounding the church. Typical homeowners are elderly people who have lived in the area for decades. Projects include painting, building wheelchair ramps, building community gardens, and repairing drywall. One of the things that volunteers always comment on is how gracious and friendly the homeowners are. SSP has also worked at various nonprofits in the South Los Angeles area as well, doing typical repairs on their facilities.

Educational Activities	A great deal of our non-working time is devoted to learning about Los Angeles and the people who live there. During the week volunteers are out in the city most evenings visiting places like the Watts Towers, downtown, the area where the 1992 riots started, as well as other important locations that serve as entry points into discussions of Los Angeles’ history and challenges. Rather than working on Wednesday, the day is devoted to visiting social agencies which serve the needs of LA’s homeless and working poor. Each Wednesday is completed with an evening barbeque at the beach.

Climate	Expect days in the mid 80's and nights in the mid 60's.

Directions	To get to Rakestraw Memorial Community Education Center, consult Google maps or a similar mapping service to find the best route for your group. The center is located at: Rakestraw Memorial Community Education Center 5139 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90037 Take Highway 110/Harbor Freeway. Exit Vernon Avenue and go east. Continue about 0.4 miles and turn right on Main Street. The center will be on the right in about 0.6 miles. The cross streets are S. Main and W. 52nd Street. Consult the driving times from other major cities.

Learn More	View photos from 2011 in Los Angeles. View photos of the new LA site at Rakestraw. To learn more about the Vermont Square community, visit the Los Angeles Times' very interesting Mapping LA website. This site contains a vast amount of information about the population, ethnicity, income and housing status of this neighborhood. Download the detailed SSP LA Study Guide to help your group learn about Los Angeles and get more out of your SSP experience. We suggest that you download the study guide, print a copy for each of your participants and spend one or two preparation sessions reviewing and discussing the materials. Visit the Ninth District's (Where Rakestraw Memorial Community Education Center is located) website.