Upward Bound House
April 2026: Team First UMC Church and Preschool had an awesome day at Home Run for Kids 2026!
Upward Bound House – The FARM
On Saturday March 16, 2024, we enjoyed a beautiful day in the Upward Bound House Farm. The farm was alive with animals (two bunnies and four chickens!), vegetables, flowers, and children’s murals. We helped move newly delivered mulch to level out walking paths and non-planting areas. It was a pleasure to meet the Farm Operator, Brett, and some of the regular volunteers (college and highschool students freely giving their time and energy!). If you are interested in helping sustain this urban farm through gardening, please email Rev. Keri at k.olsenpaget@santamonicaumc.org. We give thanks for our ministry together with the UBH community.
Upward Bound House (UBH) aims to eliminate family homelessness in Los Angeles. They provide families and youth with short and medium-term housing with a variety of supportive services such as job training, professional and emotional development, and life and parenting skills enrichment. Designed to empower homeless parents and their children to obtain housing stability, build healthy relationships, and enjoy emotional and financial well-being, their goal is to ensure that families feel secure and supported, addressing the barriers they face in obtaining and remaining in permanent housing
Once in permanent housing, families break the cycle of homelessness in aftercare programs connecting them with community-based resources, skills for employment advancements, and financial goals to continue building on their success.
Upward Bound House has established an extraordinary record of success in addressing family homelessness. Since their inception, we have helped more than 2,500 families including over 4,900 children transition from homelessness to permanent housing. Over 90% of these families were still in their homes more than a year after placement. www.UpwardBoundHouse.org