In Los Angeles we stayed at the Dream Center which is a 24/7 church reaching out to downtown LA serving the local neighbourhoods impacting the lives of 50,000 people every week!  The area in which the Dream Center is based struggles with a huge amount of poverty, homelessness, addiction and abuse.

 

We had the opportunity to be involved with their outreach programme called 'Adopt-A-Block' where we visited one of the most dangerous and at-risk blocks in the area.  The Nickerson Gardens is considered by many as the most violent, drug infested, crime riddled neighbourhood in the whole of America.  It is the largest housing project on the west side of Mississippi with over 5000 people. We provided a street church for the local kids, knocked doors and prayed for people as well as distributing food from the food truck programme.

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We also helped out at their 'His Hands Extended' clothing programme where people from the local neighbourhood can come and select free clothing.  In a typical month they give out 15,000 items of donated clothing.

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One of the most moving experiences we were involved in was our visit to Skid Row, one of the largest populations of homeless people in America.  We met many people from all walks of life and backgrounds and had the opportunity to hear their stories.  We prayed for many people and even took some back to the Dream Center to enrol them on the Rehab Programme.