1. Weekend began at City of Refuge UCC Orinda Youth Service Trip – Serving the Homeless of San Francisco February 12 & 13, 2011

2. Receiving assignments for the food pantry

3. Front entrance to City of Refuge where 100+ people enter to receive their food every Saturday.

4. Once the food bank truck arrived we helped other volunteers stack the food.

5. We distributed potatoes, onions, turnips, sardines in hot sauce, rice, apples and oranges.

6. Dekkers handed out bread

7. A LOT of bread!

8. Next stop – cable car to Ghirardelli!

9. While we waited in line…

10. We took turns giving blankets to people on the street.

11. We also met people with a different view of God

12. Riding the cable car

13. Outside of Ghirardelli was a man making balloon animals

14. A balloon sword-fight soon followed

15. Dekkers balloon turned into a hat for Anne

16. Enjoying the sunny weather

17. Making friends with a man and his parrot

18. The parrot made lots of friends!

19. We headed to our host church, St. Johns UCC to make sandwiches to be distributed the next day

20. These guys had WAY too much fun making sandwiches

21. Former OCC Minister-in-Training Thom Longino showed us the ropes of the San Francisco Night Ministry

22. We walked the streets, handed out blankets and talked to people until midnight

23. We ended the night with donuts - BIG donuts!

24. REALLY big donuts!

25. No one said being a chaperone would be easy

26. After a long first day, we slept at St. Johns – grateful for a warm place

27. We were really tired

28. Up early on Sunday. We ate breakfast at Squat and Gobble

29. Whipped cream + waffle = good morning

30. Who knew breakfast could be this fun?

31. Arriving in style at Glide United Methodist Church. (We actually rode inside the truck)

32. Waiting for church to start. Did I mention we had a late night and got up early?

33. Last stop - Open Cathedral with the San Francisco Night Ministry

34. The 34 hour weekend helped us see the invisible – the homeless of San Francisco. Really see them, as beloved children God. But seeing them is only the first step.