Orchard Local Missions

LOCAL MISSIONS

Orchard strives to encourage, teach, develop, financially support, and pray for disciples to spread God’s Word.

Orchard is charged with establishing ministries in support of “the widow, the orphan” and the “least of these brothers and sisters of mine”. Our endeavor is to find ministries and opportunities to serve that are closely aligned with our Lord’s mandate to serve those in the deepest need.

Local Missions team is an active group that meets on the 1st Tuesday evening of each month. Please contact Mike Hershey if you would like to participate or join the committee.

Upcoming Events

Suggested Toy List

Volunteer at the Shoppe!

Community Christmas Shoppe

December 14, 2024

The Community Christmas Shoppe brings extra Christmas joy to low-income families with children in our neighborhood. Parents can shop for gifts while their children are kept safe and sound in childcare or enjoy fun activities such as arts and crafts, jolly jumps, and pictures with Santa. Food and treats are provided for guests and volunteers, and every family leaves with gifts they may not have been able to provide on their own, including the greatest gift of all: the knowledge that they are loved by us and by God!

The Christmas Shoppe is organized and run by volunteers, and it takes a lot of help to make the Shoppe happen! A variety of volunteer jobs are available, including:

• Food preparation and delivery for guests and other volunteers

• Gift wrapping

• Shopping assistance

• Facility management

• Children's activities Childcare

• Prayer teams

• And more!

For more information, visit the website: vccshoppe.org

OUR LOCAL PARTNERS

City Center Transitional Living Center

We support financially, encourage people to volunteer, have work days to paint, clean up and do yard work. We want for volunteers to be a mentor to a family. City center provides skills, training, resources to move residents from homelessness to successful independent living.

To get involved please email

or call 805-628-9035

Email The City Center

Health Care For Justice

We support financially and in other ways as possible as the organization provides care to victims of human trafficking, and domestic violence.

For more information please call 805-651-3353 or visit our website.

HFJ Website

Homeless Prevention

Pays rent for those at risk of being evicted because of medical bill, car emergency, or other sudden major expense if the case manager from the Salvation Army believes that going forward they have the resources to be housed for at least 6 months.

Ventura Homeless Prevention Website

Moving In

Is a grass root group from the faith community that assists people moving out of homelessness and into their permanent home. Volunteers to help with the move are needed. As a congregation we do a fall collection of kitchen items to help furnish the persons new kitchen.

Salvation Army

We collect food for the pantry and encourage people to volunteer at the pantry.

To get involved please call 805-659-3598 or visit our website.

Salvation Army Website

The Arch

Is a year round shelter. we support financially, make breakfast and soup in a bag, 1000 of each soup in the winter, breakfast in the summer. We encourage people to volunteer and we collect hygiene items and clothing.

Inger Smuts

Community Engagement Specialist

2323 Knoll Dr.

Ventura, CA 93003

Phone | (714)-836-7188 x311

Email Inger Smuts

Mercy House Website

Tender Life Maternity Home

For homeless pregnant moms. The agency provides mentoring, baby showers, life skills, housing and support for mother and baby. We encourage groups to host a baby shower for a mom, often have a work day to paint and garden, support financially and encourage groups to provide a meal.

To get involved please call 805-653-7474 or email us

Email Tender Life

Winter Shelter Support

The Foul Weather Shelter will accommodate 20 of Ventura’s most vulnerable homeless
in a local motel. Individuals 65+ and/or with chronic health conditions are prioritized. The
remaining rooms are on a first come first served basis. For those who cannot get a
room, “stay warm packs” will be provided.

• The Foul Weather Shelter plan will be triggered with overnight weather projections of over half an inch of rain or temperatures under 40 degrees.
• The City’s Safe & Clean Manager will monitor the weather and will notify partners of activation, no less than 48 hours in advance.
• The foul weather season is from December 01, 2020 through March 31, 2021, or when funds run out, whichever comes first.
• Individuals desiring shelter are responsible for arriving at The River Community Church, 859 E. Santa Clara St., Ventura 93001 no earlier than 5pm and no later than 6pm on the day of the weather event.
• Those who do not qualify for a room will be provided with “stay warm packs.”

Orchard will collect items and donate funds. We encourage people to volunteer to the City of Ventura’s winter shelter response effort for those experiencing homelessness.

A minimum of six volunteers for set up, support, and take down are needed for the nights of the shelter from 3pm-7pm.

If you would like to volunteer, please connect with Safe & Clean Program Manager Meredith Hart

Email the Program Manager

Safe & Clean Program Info

Young Life

The mission of Young Life is to, “introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.”

Young Life started in 1941 in Texas and has grown into an international, non-denominational, Christian, non-profit youth organization active in all 50 states and over 100 countries. Young Life's presence in Ventura began over 30 years and currently reaches out to kids at the high schools, middle school students through WyldLife, and connects with kids with disabilities through Capernaum.

Dave Afman

Area Director

Young Life Ventura

Young Life

GLOBAL MISSION

ORCHARD MINISTRIES