San Antonio Weekend Program
Weekends with San Antonio DOOR & La Casa de Maria y Marta.
A typical weekend begins with arrival for supper on Friday and ends with departure after worship on Sunday. An orientation/logistics session Friday evening helps prepare everyone for the weekend.
Examples of service assignments are preparing and serving meals; helping with children whose moms may be looking for a job, in school, or living on the streets; lawn and building maintenance for individuals, seniors and/or for organizations that temporarily house homeless families; stocking shelves in food banks; sorting donated clothing; taking a tour of a homeless shelter; general facilities maintenance for helping agencies; meeting with and listening to groups that are working for change in the city, or conversing and singing with senior citizens.
Cost and Registration for a Weekend Program
Participant cost is $95 per person. This covers food, lodging, and materials for service experiences, and program administration. Our registration process has several stages:
- Return the group registration form and the non-refundable $25 per person registration fee. This deposit will be applied in its entirety towards your total group cost and will hole your requested weekend.
- A 50% deposit is due ten weeks prior to your trip. This non-refundable deposit is per person; meaning if you deposit for 10 people and only bring 9, you lose the deposit for that one person. You may increase your numbers only with a telephone call to us. Upon receipt of this deposit, we will send you an orientation package. This is intended to prepare your group for the DOOR experience and we strongly recommend you take the time to go over it with your whole group.
- Balance is due upon arrival.
- All funds received must be in U.S. currency.
What To Bring To San Antonio
Most groups coming in the fall/winter of 2008-09 will stay at La Casa de Maria and Marta. Participants sleep in guest rooms decorated in honor of persons who have played a role in social justice because of their faith. Each participant should bring sheets, a towel, and toiletries. If your group size is over 25, you will be staying at San Antonio Mennonite Church. If staying at the church, you will want to bring sleeping bags, towels, and toiletries. Shower facilities are available at both facilities. Work clothing is a must. It is important to note that some of the agencies that we work with require that volunteers wear long pants, so every participant must have along at least one pair of long pants appropriate for work. During the weekend, we may do a large amount of walking and so comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Come prepared for cool, warm, and hot weather as the temperatures in the fall and winter vary considerably here. La Casa provides towels and sheets. Keep in mind that there are no laundry facilities available at either place. Participants should also bring Bibles and notebooks. A detailed list of what to bring will be included in the orientation materials.
Transportation
It is our policy to rely on the vehicles you come in to transport your work teams to and from service assignments as well as around the city to various events. You must provide appropriate transportation (one seat-belt per person) for your entire group throughout the entire weekend. some worksites are easier to reach via public transportation. If we are using these worksites with your group, we will discuss the possibility of using the city bus with your group.
Who Can Participate?
The weekend experience program is for participants from middle-school age on up and is open to all denominations. We ask that one adult sponsor accompany every five youth who make up the group. We can accommodate groups of up to 30 total participants (youth and sponsors.) Smaller groups may be paired together, allowing participants from different places and denominations to share in service. Note- Weekends may be designed specifically for families to participate but must be arranged in advance.
Themed Weekends
Food
Food is integral to our living, but more and more individuals and families are becoming "food insecure" - that is not knowing when and from where their next meal might come.During this weekend, we will examine the unique dynamics of the relationship between the city of San Antonio (one of the most obese cities in the country) and food by serving in different soup kitchen, working at the food bank, hearing presentations given by people who struggle to find food and/or people who work closely with these folks.
Multiculturalism
San Antonio is unique in that its population is over 60% Hispanic. This creates an environment rich in Mexican and Latin American culture.During this weekend, we will examine the realities of this city that has a long history of multiculturalism by serving alongside the people of this city in a variety of work places. You will see the struggles of the population, as well as experience the joys that are inherent in this culture and this city. You will experience the history of our city when we worship at Mariachi Mass on Sunday morning in one of the old missions settled by the Spanish in the early 1700's.
Please contact Danielle Miller, DOOR San Antonio City Director for more information at 210-534-2064 or via email at Danielle@DOORnetwork.org.
Additional San Antonio Information