Welcome to Hollywood
Almost
four million individuals from over one hundred and forty countries call
Los Angeles, our "City of Angels" home. Nestled in the basin between
mountains and the pacific coast, the natural beauty and year-round blue
skies are reason enough to migrate here. The natural beauty, however,
is clearly not the only draw towards this city. Every year hundreds of
thousands of teenagers move to L.A. to pursue their dreams in the
entertainment Mecca of the world.
Behind the bright glittering
lights of red carpet fame, there is another very real side of
Hollywood's urban life that is in desperate need of Christ's tangible
touch. Los Angeles boasts of the nations' largest immigrant population,
and the Hollywood area of Los Angeles is filled with many individuals
who are not after the riches or the paparazzi's attention, but desire a
more stable future and equal opportunities for their children. It is a
daily struggle for the many immigrants living in Hollywood to provide
for their children while encouraging the pursuit of education over the
strong pull of neighborhood gangs.
With television and movie
studios abounding throughout these lower-income neighborhoods, groups
coming to DOOR Hollywood can expect to be exposed to the stark contrast
of celebrity glamour amidst the backdrop of urban poverty. DOOR
participants will engage in practical outreach in homeless shelters,
drop-in clinics, and other social service agencies. They will also be
encouraged to interact on a personal level with neighbors and students,
who may be very different from themselves, for a mutually
transformative experience.
We believe that God will
significantly impact participants' perspectives as they give and
receive the gifts of our city. Through prayer and an active
search for the face of God amongst the people in the "city of
Angels," we believe that the the barriers of racism and subtle economic
prejudice will begin to be dispelled by the love of Christ and replaced
by his heart of compassion and justice.