The Pilgrimage

Morningside Presbyterian Church

Spring Mission Trip
March 23 - 28, 2010
 The Pilgrimage
Operated for more than thirty years as an outreach ministry of Church
of the Pilgrims in Washington, DC, The Pilgrimage is a wonderful
example of developing a ministry that connects congregations with
the needs and opportunities within the greater community. Every year,
about seventy groups come to The Pilgrimage to experience hands-on
service projects centered on issues of urban poverty and homelessness
in our nation’s capital. One of The Pilgrimage’s distinctive goals is not
only to connect individuals to the gritty realities of urban poverty, but
also to take time to educate and reflect through educational workshops,
speaker panels, and writing workshops led by David Harris, a homeless
poet and “Artist-in-Residence” of The Pilgrimage. Building on the action/
reflection model of learning, the staff encourages program participants
to take their experiences back home to their own communities. As one
volunteer has said,

“The Pilgrimage is not just a mission trip, it is the beginning of a lifetime of service.”

Persons who journey to The Pilgrimage can select from a variety of thematically focused programs,
including: Church in the City, Faith and Public Policy, World Religions, HIV/AIDS, Community Issues
and the Environment, and Housing. For example, the Church in the City program focuses on issues
surrounding hunger and homelessness, as well as ways in which people of faith have responded to
these critical issues. They also have the opportunity to hear first-hand the stories of individuals who are
homeless and hungry through the Faces of Poverty Panel of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Through the thousands of people who have journeyed to The

Pilgrimage, and through the personal experiences they have taken
home to hundreds of communities around the country, Church of
the Pilgrims is making an impact, not just on its own members and
neighborhood, but on people living far beyond Washington, DC.
Visitors who participate in the programs at The Pilgrimage learn
first-hand that

“God’s creation is in need of justice and liberation.

Justice must be experienced; justice must be lived
out by a way of life. The Pilgrimage is a place where
one exchanges gifts, stories, lives, and experiences
with those of us who are hungry and oppressed. The
Pilgrimage is also a place where one can learn about
other major religions, or how to shape public policy.”
from “A Pilgrimage Overview”
 The Pilgrimage Schedule

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Afternoon Arrival and Orientation

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Morning DC Central Kitchen
Help with morning kitchen work, food preparation or job training
Afternoon Capital Area Food Bank
Sort and pack food items to be distributed to area soup kitchens
Evening National Coalition for the Homeless
Speaker panel of former and current homeless individuals at The
Pilgrimage

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Morning Community for Creative Non-Violence

Afternoon Christian Community Group Homes

Help seniors with yard work, light maintenance, recreation and
fellowship with seniors

Friday, March 26, 2010

Morning Martha’s Table
Help with food preparation, food serving on McKenna’s Meal Wagon, or
work with clothing donation program
Afternoon Workshop with David Harris
Explore week through reflective writing. Talk about homelessness and
listen to each other talk about the week together

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Morning Parks and People
Working in local parks doing clean up, tree planting, weeding and other
sorts of activities
Afternoon Bread for the Journey
Use bag lunches as an icebreaker to talk to those you see on the streets

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Afternoon Departure
 Service Programs

DC Central Kitchen
DC Central Kitchen collects food from restaurants and catered meals at embassies and
other events that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to shelters, soup kitchens
and many other agencies serving the hungry. The Kitchen also re-prepares certain foods
so they can be used for several meals and runs a job training program for unemployed
men and women, who will be working side-by-side with volunteers.

Capital Area Community Food Bank

The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest public, non-profit food and nutrition education
resource in the Metro Area. It operates a 48,000 square foot warehouse that collects
and organizes nutritious food donations from wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and the
general public. The Food Bank then distributes the food to 500 local shelters, emergency
bag programs, soup kitchens and other providers. Projects include sorting and repackaging
food, leading education programs, staffing special events and preparing mailings.

Christian Communities Group Homes

CCGH provides housing for elderly persons that were formally homeless in a non-
institutional, neighborhood setting. It is the only assisted living housing in the DC area
that serves this population. Another program offered at the CCGH is the Age-In-Place
Home Maintenance program, which allows senior citizens to remain independent in their
own homes by providing volunteers to help with household and yard work.

Martha’s Table
Martha’s Table is a volunteer-supported, non-profit organization founded in 1980,
dedicated to fulfilling the needs of low-income and homeless children, families, and
individuals in the NW corridor of Washington, DC. Martha’s Table Food Program spends
the day preparing meals for the hungry and homeless which are then distributed by way
of McKenna’s Wagon, the seven-day-a-week mobile soup kitchen that stops daily at nine
locations throughout the city.

Parks and People

Parks & People is a nationally acclaimed alliance of community park partnerships in the
national capital region. WPP volunteers are called to help reclaim urban neighborhoods
by using parks to reconnect people with the land and with each other, and by sponsoring
a wide range of programs to advance community, build multicultural understanding, and
educate our young people about the world beyond their street corners.
The Pilgrimage FAQ’s
What is the cost?
The cost for the trip is $39 per night per volunteer.*
*Additional fees will be approximately $50 per volunteer plus
the cost of food, see below for details.

Additional fees include:

$11 per volunteer - to participate in National Coalition of
the Homeless and Workshop with
David Harris
$14 per volunteer - to cover the supplies for the lunches
that will be handed out during Bread
for the Journey
$25 per volunteer - to cover transportation on The Metro
subway system during the week

How do I sign up?

A sign up sheet is located on The Pilgrimage bulletin board outside the session room. Interested participants
may also email Brad Odom at jbradleyodom@gmail.com or Tony Fishpaw at tonyfishpaw@me.com.

What type of transportation to DC is being provided?

Due to limited parking at The Pilgrimage, volunteers from Morningside Presbyterian Church will be
carpooling. Volunteers may also elect to arrange their own transportation.

Where is The Pilgrimage located?

The Pilgrimage is centrally located in the business and residential district of Dupont Circle, in the heart of
Washington, D.C. Accessible via public transport or taxi from Reagan National Airport, Dulles International
Airport and Union Train Station. The nearest subway stop four blocks away on the Red line and our facility
is on the routes of several Metro bus lines. Dupont Circle is a vibrant shopping and restaurant district of the
downtown area and is walking distance to Georgetown, Embassy Row, and Adams Morgan.

What is the facility like?

The Pilgrimage facility has 3 dorm-style bedrooms with a 40 bed capacity. Their kitchen is fully functioning
with a stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher, two refrigerators, and most other essential other cooking
materials. Adjoining the kitchen is a dining area with tables and a a small common area with tables, couches,
a TV, and VCR/DVD player. The bathroom facilities are divided into a men’s and women’s bathroom, each
with separate stalls and showers. The facility is safe and secure, locked 24/7. There is only one outside
entrance, and group leaders have that key. Furthermore, lockers will be available for you to store items.

How do we get around DC while we are there?

Please note that The Pilgrimage DOES NOT provide any sort of transportation or shuttle service! Driving is
always an option; however, parking can be difficult to find and/or costly in the city. The Pilgrimage suggests
that groups use the subway system or ride the buses. Metro information can be found at www.wmata.com.
Week long groups usually spend between $20 and $30 per personon metro fares.

Where can I find additional information about The Pilgrimage?

Volunteers are encouraged to visit The Pilgrimage website at www.thepilgrimage.org