Following Jesus means working for justice, especially for those most vulnerable.
Our community has a long tradition of working for a more just world, not only in our neighborhood, but throughout our larger world–whether it’s providing food to needy seniors and families or bringing clean water to rural Nicaraguan villages, whether it’s working for a just immigration reform or helping neighborhood kids get a good education or working to end unjust wars. You, too, can make a difference. We have many volunteer opportunities. Join us!
Sharing food
Every Saturday morning, Jean Baker gets up way before the crack of dawn to get to St. John’s by 5am to open the church and start setting up for the Julian Pantry.
Eventually volunteers arrive from around the neighborhood and other parts of the City. They unload the truck delivering the food, stock the tables, and share a breakfast, a time for check-in, and a brief reflection. Then they open the doors to welcome between 250 and 350 people to receive the free fresh veggies, fruits, breads. And for all the challenges of making something like this work smoothly, and there are many, Jean and her crew keep at it week after week. An unlikely cast of characters, working with Jesus, to bring food in these tough economic times to people in our neighborhood and the City.
Walking to stop the violence
To reduce the violence in our neighborhood, we join other faith communities in Mission Nightwalks.
We walk to those places where violence has occurred, stopping to listen to our neighbors, sometimes talking with family and friends of those killed, and often praying for both the victims and the perpetrators of the violence.
Providing Sanctuary for immigrants
To protect immigrant families in our neighborhood, we work for just immigration reform.We do this in collaboration with other Bay Area congregations in Faith in Action Bay Area.
We also provide Sanctuary to three young Central American refugees seeking asylum in this country, looking after their practical needs and standing with them against any efforts to deport them. We do this in collaboration with the Central American Resource and Education Center (CARECEN).
Offering a safe, dry place to sleep
Each weekday morning, we offer our unhoused sisters and brothers a safe, dry space to sleep. We do this in collaboration with the Gubbio Project.
Bringing fresh water to Nicaragua
“El Porvenir” means “the future”, and clean water means a healthier future for rural Nicaraguans. El Porvenir helps the people of Nicaragua build that future by helping them provide clean drinking water for their families and communities. In addition to sustainable water and sanitation projects, El Porvenir provides health and hygiene education and reforestation.
Over the years several members of our community have traveled to Nicaragua to see and offer first-hand support to people in local villages building new wells.
Witnessing for peace
Join our vigils for peace every non-holiday Thursday until our nation’s foreign wars are over.
When: Thursdays, noon – 1 pm
Where: Burton Federal Building, Golden Gate and Larkin, San Francisco
Helping kids through high school
Mission Graduates seeks to increase the number of K-12 students in San Francisco’s Mission District who are prepared for a college education through the following programs:
- College Connect, a multi-year program providing structured, personalized college admissions support to students and their parents.
- The Parent Partners Program designed to help parents support their children’s current academic success and future life goals.
- Extended Day Programs that provide award-winning after-school academic enrichment programs for 120 children K-5 year-round.