Open Mesa at La Mirada
Open Mesa, a recipient of a Ministry With grant, started as an idea of small-group dinners with members of the Arapaho UMC congregation and their Hispanic neighbors. It has blossomed into a joint ministry with Kids University that hosts monthly dinners at La Mirada, a nearby apartment complex. Kids-U provides after-school tutoring, while Arapaho connects with the parents and shares a meal. “The goal of Open Mesa at La Mirada is long-term relationships to hopefully help immigrants stabilize the family life, understand more about the community around them and introduce them to partnerships that might be able to help,” said Rev. Cathy Sweeney, associate pastor at Arapaho UMC.