Church Barbecue to Benefit Youth Mentoring Program

Thousand Oaks United Methodist Church will hold an all-you-can-eat deep-pit barbecue dinner Oct. 13 to benefit a youth mentoring program at a sister church in Pacoima.

The mentoring program, established by the congregation of the Pacoima First United Methodist Church in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, has for the last three years provided positive role models for boys and girls with no father at home.

The program also offers disadvantaged children and teens a chance to participate in outdoor activities such as hiking and sailing.

“This is where these young people begin to accept adult responsibilities,” said Larry Brown, a member of the Thousand Oaks congregation and one of the organizers of the fund-raising drive.

Brown said it costs the Pacoima church $100 to send each youth to the weekend retreat, which was canceled in September for lack of funds.

Despite the program’s influence in keeping youths from becoming pregnant and helping them stay off the street and out of gangs, the camp-like retreats are on the verge of being called off for good unless $5,000 can be raised, Brown said.

The amount is enough to enroll 50 children and teens into the program in the coming months.

Brown said the congregation at Thousand Oaks United decided to become involved after hearing a guest sermon by one of the program’s creators, Garth Gilliam.

The effort between the two churches is an opportunity to build a bridge between one of Ventura County’s most affluent communities and one of the poorest in the San Fernando Valley, he said.

The barbecue, at Thousand Oaks United, 1000 E. Janss Road, will be from noon to 6 p.m. The cost is $7.50 for adults and $4 for children ages 5 to 12. Children 4 and under eat for free.

Brown said larger donations are also being accepted for the program.

For more information, call (805) 495-7215.