A Field Trip That Inspires Justice
Fifth graders visit Upward Bound House to engage with issues of affordable housing and homelessness in our own West LA community.
This past Sunday, all our fifth grade classes (and many of their parents) took a field trip to Upward Bound House in Santa Monica.
Upward Bound House is a community-based, social service agency founded in 1991 to help mitigate the affordable housing crisis on the west side of Los Angeles County and specifically, its impact on the vulnerable population of homeless families with minor children. Upward Bound House fulfills its mission through Family Place, its transitional housing facility for homeless families.
David Snow, Executive Director of Upward Bound House and a Temple Isaiah member, gave us a tour of the facility and spoke to us about what we could do to help. We got a chance to see what a one family apartment looks like and look at their food pantry and “thrift store”, where they give out food, clothing and other supplies to their residents. Our students had time to ask David Snow questions about who lives at Upward Bound House and what their life is like there.
We were so inspired by these families courage and their strength that we want to get involved with helping them out. Together the fifth grade is going to “adopt” an empty apartment and use tzedakah and donations from our families to fill it (with bedding, towels, kitchen supplies, etc.) and make it a home for the next family in need that will be moving in. Then, when this family has stabilized enough and are able find themselves permanent housing, they can take all the household objects we donated to them and bring them to their new home.
Take a look at photos from our inspiring visit:
