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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 Launching Adopt-A-Block: Step 1; Pick a Central Location 3 Step 2; Survey a Three Block Radius of the Central Location 4 Step 3; Launch Adopt-A-Block at Central Location 5 Expanding Adopt-A-Block 6 Leadership Breakdown 7 Special Events 8 Adopt-A-Block Rally 9 Day at Adopt-A-Block 10 Core Beliefs 11 Testimonies - 12 Adopt-A-Block Documents: Weekly Report 13 Needs List 14 Prayer Request Sheet 15 Site Map 16 Survey - 17 Flyer - 18 2 of 19
INTRODUCTION The Dream Center was launched out of an encounter Pastor Matthew Barnett had in Downtown Los Angeles. While walking through Echo Park late at night, he noticed the gangs, pimps, and liquor stores were the forces of greatest influence because of their consistent presence in the community. Pastor Matthew Barnett saw a need for a church that never sleeps. Throughout the week, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week church would meet individual s needs in order to speak into their potential. One afternoon over lunch, Pastor Matthew and a few friends were discussing how they could make a lasting impact in the community. In order to begin meeting the immediate needs of the community littered streets, messy yards, and lonely children. An idea written on a napkin, over lunch, has grown to become our Adopt-A-Block outreach. Through Adopt-A-Block, physical needs of individuals and families are met on a consistent basis; consistency leads to relationships. The relationships grow stronger until the door is open to have the opportunity to speak into an individual s potential. After the first three years of Adopt-A-Block, crime dropped 73% within the local community We have seen Adopt-A-Block change the atmosphere in 15 neighborhoods across Los Angeles, but its success is not limited to large metropolitan areas. Churches, businesses, universities, and individuals across the United States have an Adopt-A-Block program in their city, neighborhoods, or city blocks. 3 of 19
STEP 1 PICK A CENTRAL LOCATION Before you launch an Adopt-a-Block program, you must decide on a central location. This location will be where your volunteers will consistently serve and meet the needs of the site on a weekly basis. When choosing the location, find an area that is easily accessible for those in the community, but not in a location that will be a nuisance, such as blocking the sidewalk or stopping traffic. If possible, find a grassy area, they are great for running activities for children. You will want your chosen central location to be fairly visible. Everyone in the community may not be aware of the activities provided by Adopt-ABlock, but families will be drawn to the central location when they see what programs are available, especially when you meet an immediate need. 4 of 19
STEP 2 SURVEY A THREE BLOCK RADIUS OF THE CENTRAL LOCATION In order to know the specific needs of the community, survey the threeblock radius surrounding your central location. An example of our survey is below: Name: Phone Number: Or Email Address: What is the biggest need in your community? What would you like to see happen in your neighborhood? How can we assist you and the community to make it better? What is the biggest improvement in your neighborhood since you have lived here? What has most negatively affected your neighborhood since you have lived here? After surveying the area, you will see specific ideas and needs mentioned by families in the community. The areas of need repeated on the survey, such as programs for kids, are a great starting point for Adopt-A-Block in your community. In addition to learning what the residents would like to see happen, how they can be assisted, and what their biggest need is, you now have a follow-up list to invite those in the community to be a part of the upcoming Adopt-A-Block launch 5 of 19
STEP 3 LAUNCH ADOPT-A-BLOCK AT CENTRAL LOCATION The goal of Adopt-A-Block is to build relationships and the key to success is consistency. When Adopt-A-Block launches at a specific location, it is a promise to the community that, rain or shine, we will be here to serve you for years to come. Your commitment to the community will be speak louder than anything else. At The Dream Center, our motto is Find a need and fill it. Find a hurt and heal it. Meeting the immediate needs of the community is the fastest way to build relationships and gain influence to speak into someone s potential. Immediate needs of the community may include: food, clothing, activities for children, painting graffiti, and picking up trash. 6 of 19
EXPANDING ADOPT-A-BLOCK As Adopt-A-Block program expanded, we added central locations outside of our local neighborhood. We now serve at central locations, or sites as we call them, across Los Angeles. Our sites vary from Skid Row, a large homeless community in downtown Los Angeles; large community parks, apartment complexes, and housing projects in South Central, Watts, and East Los Angeles. We now appeal to volunteers and groups of all ages and interest. For example, if a group wants to work with children, we can assign them to a housing project in South Central. If there is a group that wants to work specifically with the homeless, they can attend our Skid Row site. In addition to providing options for those with special requests, having multiple sites gives us the ability to work with each of our visitor s schedule. If a visitor has limited time on a Saturday, we will send them to a local site with less travel time 7 of 19
The Adopt-A-Block Director should be in consistent contact with the Site Leader in order to cast vision and direction for the program. The Site Leader is then responsible for passing information from the Director to the Co-Leaders and Section Leaders, as well as communicating requests from the site to the Director. Constant communication will ensure the needs of the community are being met. One way to facilitate regular communication is a weekly report (highlighted on page 13). 8 of 19
EVENT IDEAS Special events are a great way to create excitement in your community. In addition to bringing new energy to the site, the event will give passion and focus to your leaders and volunteers. Most importantly, special events and activities will attract new individuals and families from the neighborhood to your central location. As with weekly Adopt-A-Block, the goal of your special event should be to meet an immediate need in the community. For example, a toy and bike giveaway at Christmas or backpack giveaways in August have been great ways to draw a crowd and meet an immediate need. We have also held an annual event, Dream Center Loves Los Angeles, which is a celebration at one of our sites. Although this event does not tie in with a holiday, it does meet an immediate need by expanding on the weekly Adopt-A-Block activities food and clothing giveaways, activities for children, and neighborhood clean-ups. Dream Center Loves Los Angeles events incorporate a large barbecue; special activities, games, and toy giveaways for kids; and organized service projects to clean, pickup trash, and paint. 9 of 19
ADOPT-A-BLOCK RALLY Every week, before we go into the community to serve, we gather all volunteers in our gym for the Adopt-A-Block rally. The rally is a time for the Director to thank volunteers, meet first-time visitors, and give vision to the Site Leaders for that week. Every week, before the rally begins, volunteers pray for our sites. We believe this is a time to go to God on behalf of the people before we go to the people on behalf of God. After prayer, we have individual volunteers and large volunteer groups sign in so we have a follow up list, just like at the site, to invite our guests to serve with us again. We also provide coffee and donuts as a monthly thank you to those who have given up their Saturday morning to serve with us. During the Rally, the Director will welcome and thank volunteers, clarify the goal, build excitement, and go over the rules of Adopt-A-Block. The three simple rules of Adopt-A-Block are: 1) Smile A simple smile can make a stranger feel loved. It can also break through language barriers. 2) Girls Don t Walk Alone We appreciate our women and want to keep them safe. Some sites are in rough neighborhoods, and we have never had an issue we want to keep it that way 3) Don t Knock Like the Police We want our site to feel loved. As with Rule 1, love can be shown before a conversation starts. 10 of 19
A DAY AT ADOPT-A-BLOCK 9:15-9:45am Prayer Going to God on behalf of the people, before going to the people on behalf of God 9:45-10:00 Volunteer Sign In Collecting first-time visitor information allows us to get volunteers plugged in and keep them updated with special events 10:00-10:15 Adopt-A-Block Director Welcome Share the vision Build excitement Highlight the rules 10:15-10:30 Load buses with food and other needs 10:30 Buses leave The Dream Center 11:00 Buses arrive at sites Change atmosphere of the community: Distribute food & needs Knock on doors, invite people to church Pick up trash Build relationships 12:30-1:30pm Sites return to The Dream Center 11 of 19
CORE BELIEFS The strength of Adopt-A-Block is its ability to build strong, lasting relationships within the community. The relationships, built upon consistency, will allow you to speak into the potential of an individual or family. Soon, you will begin to see the atmosphere of the entire community change Outreach, not Downreach The Adopt-A-Block team views those at our sites as family, not as those who are less fortunate. Don t Relate, Revolutionize Although many of our volunteers are unfamiliar with urban culture, each one is able to show love in order to change the atmosphere of the community and speak into an individual s potential. We Get To Serve It is essential that your attitude is in check. Serving is not about you; it is a privilege. Be A Responder At your site, you will continually see needs that need to be met. Do not just point out issues; solve them 12 of 19
TESTIMONIES Adopt-A-Block has truly changed the atmosphere in our community. It has allowed us to create an atmosphere of joy, peace, and friendship in an area that was usually dominated by drug pushers and crime. Adopt-A-Block has been a great way for us to reach out, touch, share, and speak to such wonderful people. It has allowed us to put name to faces and actually create a community in an area that normally didn t have that. People want to spend time with us because they know they ll not only get a physical need met with the donations that they receive, but they ll also get a spiritual need met because they know there will be people that care and will spend time listening to their stories. New York City Dream Center Population: 8,244,910 In the fall of 2009 a group from The Father s House went to the Los Angeles Dream Center. The goal was to learn how to duplicate the ministry and services that were being provided to the under- resourced and unrepresented in the greater Los Angeles area and bring them back to our small town in Northern California. After their return to our town they began to implement all that they had been taught at the Dream Center. In two short years, The Father s House is supplying groceries to over 10,000 people a month through storehouses. We have also started nine Adopt-A-Block sites that are in the most underresourced areas in our city, adopted two schools where we provide art and music classes, and have reopened one of the youth centers owned by the city after it was closed by budget cuts. Our city is being changed. The Father s House (Vacaville, CA) Population: 93,088 13 of 19
WEEKLY REPORT The Weekly Report allows us to document and assess our efforts each week. In addition to keeping our volunteers focused on specific tasks, it allows the site leaders and volunteers to ask questions, make a comment, or share a testimony. SITE NAME DATE 1. How many people were in the food line? 2. Did you have enough food to give? 3. How many doors did your team knock on? 4. How many doors were opened? 5. How many adults did your team serve? 6. How many kids did your team serve? 7. How many salvations today? 8. What % of the neighborhood residents participated? Any questions, comments and/or testimonies: CHECKLIST TALK TO EVERY PERSON BEFORE HANDING OUT FOOD INVITE PEOPLE TO CHURCH PASS OUT FLIERS 14 of 19
NEEDS LIST The Needs List allows those at the site to request specific needs, such as: toiletries, baby needs, and clothing. Tracking the Needs List will help you realize the importance to organizing a diaper or clothing drive (when needed). of 15 19
PRAYER REQUEST SHEET The Prayer Request Sheet helps you to remember the prayer needs of those at your site. You can also share this sheet with others in order to contact each individual throughout the week to follow up and offer additional prayer. of 16 19
SITE MAP The Site Map shows how we divide a site to allow Section Leaders to focus on specific areas to build relationships. Each Section Leader will visit the same area in order to consistently invest in relationships and meet new people. 17 of 19
SURVEY The Survey helps you gather suggestions on what the community needs. It also serves as a follow up list. More information regarding the Survey can be found on Page 4. Adopt-A-Block Adopt-A-Block Survey Follow Up Survey 18 of 19
FLYER The Flyer is a great way to remind the community of the different programs we provide throughout the week. If necessary, print a double-sided flyer with an English and Spanish translation. 19 of 19