This information is provided to help your group plan for the DOOR-Hollywood (formerly known as Hollywood Urban Project.) Registration procedures, Schedules, Cost, What to bring, Transportation, Insurance, and Other logistics.
If you are considering a week this year, please contact our National Office Marie Voth or 303-295-3667 for availability and general questions. For city-specific programmatic questions, please contact our Hollywood City Director Matthew Schmitt or (323) 872-3174
Who Can Participate?
The DOOR-Hollywood program is designed for participants from high- school age and beyond and is open to all denominations. Middle-schoolers are allowed, but please know that some agencies are not comfortable with young teens and pre-teens, so it may require a little more planning. We ask that one adult sponsor accompany every five youth who make up the group. For a week-long experience, DOOR-Hollywood can accommodate groups of up to 65 total participants (youth and sponsors). Smaller groups may be combined with other small groups in a given week. For photos of groups in action, please visit our DOOR- Hollywood facebook page.
What Will You Do?
A typical week in Hollywood begins on arrival Sunday evening after supper and ends with departure after lunch on Friday. A two to three-hour orientation/logistics session Sunday evening helps prepare everyone for the week. Your group will be divided into work teams, (4-6 participants with one adult sponsor as designated leader) that are also your meal teams. Meal teams are responsible for preparing and cleaning up after all meals eaten together by the group. Groceries, menus, and cooking instructions are provided and a DOOR-Hollywood staff person is on hand for reference.
Once assigned to work and meal teams, participants generally stay with those same teams for the week. Work teams usually spend each day at a different service assignment. However, due to the nature of some assignments, there are cases where we will ask the same work team to stay at a site for more than one day. Our goal is for all participants to have a variety of experiences that they can share with each other, while also being humbly expectant that God's will shall prevail, so we 
all must be prepared to submit our best-laid plans and see what God has in mind for us.
Examples of service assignments may be: preparing and serving meals at a soup kitchen; helping with homeless adult and children's programs; cleaning kitchens and shelters; urban gardening and restoration; meeting and listening to groups and individuals who are working for change in the city; conversing and worshiping with city folks.
What Will The Schedule Be Like?
Although the schedule varies and is flexible, a typical day may go as follows:
| 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. | Wake up, prepare, eat and clean up breakfast |
| 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. | Quiet Time/Bible Study |
| 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. | Travel to service assignment (time of departure varies with each site) |
| 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. | Service assignment |
| 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. | Return to host site, clean-up, free time |
| 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. | Meal team prepares supper |
| 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. | Supper and clean-up |
| 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Evening session/free time |
Evening sessions include worship, presentations, and group reflection. Thursday evening is set aside for a time together to help participants reflect on and process what they have seen, felt, and learned during the course of each day. This is perhaps the most important time of the week. Issues raised are addressed in light of our calling as Christians to love others and to respond to those in need.On Wednesday evening a formal reflection time is not scheduled. DOOR does not provide supper on this evening so most groups choose to eat out and spend the evening seeing more of Hollywood. (Please keep in mind that some work teams may not finish their assignments until early evening).
You may wish to stay an additional night in Hollywood to allow for free day activities or better transportation rates. Additional nights are only available on Friday nights and only with prior arrangements. The cost is $15 per person per night.
Cost and Registration for the Hollywood Week Long ProgramParticipant cost is $295. This covers food, lodging, materials for service experiences, and program administration. Our registration process has several stages:
- Registration and Deposit: Return the group registration form and a deposit of $75 per person to reserve your dates. This deposit will be applied, in its entirety, toward your total group cost and will hold your requested date.
- Second payment:
- For groups coming in the summer, between May and August: $100 per person payment is due on March 1.
- For groups coming other times in the year: $100 payment is due 10 weeks prior to your trip.
Upon receipt of this payment, we will send you an orientation package via email, including a statement of funds received and balance due 3 weeks before arrival. The orientation packet is intended to prepare your group for the DOOR experience, and we strongly recommend you take the time to go over it with your whole group.
- Balance is due 3 weeks before arrival.
- All funds received must be in U.S. currency.
- For groups registering after Mar 1, please contact Christie in the National Office for payment schedule.
- Should your group need to cancel, please see our Cancellation Policy.
| Print out the registration form | Include Deposit | Mail it in |
Start the registration process for your trip by filling out our Online Registration (Fill out, print and send in with deposit), or if you prefer, filling out a PDF version of the Registration (Print, fill out, and send in with deposit.)
What To Bring To Hollywood
Go to the: Hollywood Packing List.
While in Hollywood each participant should bring a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, a towel, and toiletries. Work clothing is a must and other casual/sport clothing as desired. There are no laundry facilities. Participants should also bring Bibles and notebooks. The packing list will be included in the orientation materials sent in the spring upon receipt of your second payment.
Transportation
The DOOR-Hollywood program relies on the vehicles you come in for transportation of your work teams to and from service assignments. You are responsible for driving your own vehicles around the city. If you are thinking of coming by plane, train, school or touring bus, you may rent vans as needed to transport your group to service assignments. Second, you may choose to use public transportation for your entire experience.
Health Insurance
While participating in the DOOR-Hollywood program, there is always the chance that volunteers will need medical care. Accidents can and do happen while at the service assignments, during recreational activities and free time, even on the trip to and from Hollywood. Since the DOOR-Hollywood program does not carry medical insurance for participants, we ask that group leaders make sure that all group members have insurance and that the DOOR Medical Release Forms (sent along with orientation the materials) are completed and available to our staff while your group is in Hollywood.
And Finally...
Additional Hollywood Information
In addition to learning about service, we hope participants will encounter Christ in new and exciting ways, AND have fun! DOOR-Hollywood staff tries to be sure that not all your time in Hollywood is spent working or being involved in serious discussions. We have built into the schedule one free evening, and free time each afternoon. We invite participants to bring other games and recreation equipment with them.