Ascencia
Ascencia's mission is to lift people out of homelessness, one person, one family at a time.
Ascencia provides a community where people in need can find services, resources, and safe, affordable housing to rebuild their lives.
The Ascencia Access Center in Glendale hosts a 45-bed emergency shelter, commercial kitchen and dining room, laundry and shower facilities, as well as offices and conference rooms for case management, therapy, or other client meetings.
Therapy meetings offered onsite include trauma therapy, tele-psychiatry, children’s art therapy, and occupational therapy.
Ascencia staff also support eight different housing programs designed to help clients with different needs obtain and remain in safe and affordable housing long term.
Case management staff help customize plans to address short- and long-term goals of individuals including finding housing, applying for identification documents and/or health benefits, receiving parent and prenatal care, family reunification, drug rehabilitation, mental health services, and employment support and financial literacy coursework.
First German UMC supports a monthly effort to cook dinner for residents at the emergency shelter. In partnership with New York Life, volunteers buy, prepare, and serve dinner every other second Saturday of the month at the Ascencia Access Center in Glendale.
Kids are welcome to help cook and serve as long as they are supervised by an adult guardian. There are often children in residence at the emergency shelter and it can be even more fun for kids to play together than cook or serve the whole time.
Click on “Become a Volunteer” below to access our volunteer sign up form and we’ll provide you with the details of an upcoming Guest Chef volunteer opportunity.
FGUMC helps coordinate the preparation, cooking, and serving of dinner at Ascencia every other second Saturday of the month. Volunteers typically meet at 4PM at Ascencia to being cooking.
If you are interested in helping, fill out the form linked below. Please provide your name, contact information, and a list of the first Saturdays of the month you are interested in serving. The FGUMC office will contact you and connect you to the appropriate volunteer lead after receiving your completed form.
Kids are welcome to help cook and serve as long as they are supervised by an adult guardian. Please indicate the ages of any kids who will be volunteering in the form.
The deadline to sign up is 1PM Thursday before the Saturday dinner.
Fill out the Ascencia Volunteer Form Here.