Posts related to on Sierra Service Project

2023 News: Youth Board Voices

January 24th, 2023

As a member of the Youth Advisory Council, I am excited to connect with other BIPOC youth [..] and assure them that their voice matters.
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2022 News: San Diego – My Place In This Place

December 22nd, 2022

This summer in San Diego at SSP, I felt my Dad’s presence. You see, the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground is built in the place where he worked.
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Will Wood

November 26th, 2018

Youth Board Member from Pt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, Elk Grove, CA

I have participated in SSP four times, in San Diego, Smith River, Spokane, and Tsaile, all at high school sessions. Through my trips with SSP, I have acquired a plethora of memories and experiences, each of them special in their own way. A few of these include learning about the rich history of Chicano-Americans in San Diego, racing to save the beautiful Tolowa Dunes outside Smith River from invasive European beachgrass, and strategically demolishing an awning on a twelve-foot-tall deck in Spokane.

If I had to choose just one significant memory, it would be from Tsaile this year. Dr. Silver Nez Perry, a Diné community leader, talked to our whole group about motivation and how to be successful in life. To hear such inspiring words come from a place one would not necessarily seek it out was especially intriguing. Silver’s words have stuck with me since then, and will be with me for a long time to come. These (and many more memories) have made SSP a formative and important experience for me.

“To be able to significantly impact the life of someone else, while simultaneously deepening your own faith and connecting with fellow Christians, is a special thing I am proud to be a part of.”

Sierra Service Project has somehow struck the perfect balance between church retreats and service projects. To be able to significantly impact the life of someone else, while simultaneously deepening your own faith and connecting with fellow Christians, is a special thing I am proud to be a part of. The duality of helping others while also helping yourself, although in different ways, is what truly has made SSP an important experience in my life that has yet to reach its final chapter.

SSP has given me so many great memories. Through each of my four trips with SSP, I have become enthralled with philanthropy and the deepening of faith. When I am older, I would love to be involved in the non-profit world, to help others find that same passion. This is why I have chosen to serve on SSP’s Board of Directors, to help others find their passion through service. Serving on the Board of Directors will allow me to give back to a worthy organization, and help other teenagers take advantage of opportunities to serve with SSP.

Editor’s Note: Will Wood is a senior that attends SSP with Pt. Pleasant United Methodist Church. He has been elected this year to serve as a youth representative on SSP’s Board of Directors. This article is featured in SSP’s 2018 Annual Newsletter; read all the stories written by youth volunteers, summer staff, and community members. Request a hard copy newsletter to be mailed to you.

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Pastor Chris Fracchiolla

November 26th, 2018

Pastor of Magnolia Park United Methodist Church in Burbank, CA

This year our annual trip to SSP was a lesson in complexities simplified. Being from the Los Angeles area, choosing Imperial Beach as our location really simplified our travel plans! Once we arrived, however, complexities began to mount.

The homeowner we served, Ernie, lived in a nice neighborhood, not far from a beautiful park, community center, and two state-of-the-art schools. Many nearby homes were new; their proximity to the beach gave them extra cache. A closer look revealed a place in transition; a patchwork of homes suffering from ill-repair. Ernie, living on a fixed income, was very sick. His son, who doubled as his full-time caregiver, was in no position to do repairs. As we worked on a wheelchair ramp, we learned about the complex needs that lie just beneath a community’s surface.

“Service simplifies the complexities of life, cuts through our differences, and brings us back to our simple roots as children of God.”

Later we learned about complexities on a national scale, when we took a day trip to the US-Mexico border. There is a park where people who migrate to the US can see loved ones who were unable to make the same trip. Our youth got a taste of bitter separation when they “touched pinkies” with SSP friends on the other side. Those feelings were complicated by a visit with border patrol agents who described the rigors associated with their job of maintaining border security.

Finally, complexities multiplied when we spent quality time with friends of SSP at our community dinner. Brief encounters with residents revealed a complex mix of stories, replete with disappointments and dreams, all tied up with a bow of gratitude for the work SSP does, and to God. Our time in Imperial Beach, like all SSP times, demonstrated once again that service simplifies the complexities of life, cuts through our differences, and brings us back to our simple roots as children of God, called to love each other as Jesus loves us. Complexity made simple, SSP style!

Editor’s Note: With sadness, we share this homeowner passed away, only a few days before the ramp was completed. We pray for his family as they grieve. This article is featured in SSP’s 2018 Annual Newsletter; read all the stories written by youth volunteers, summer staff, and community members. Request a hard copy newsletter to be mailed to you.

MySSP Login

SSP's Group Registration Portal

First-come, first-served registration is open for SSP's summer of 2019! If you are your group's liaison, click the button to login to your MySSP account.