Sponsored by the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy, our Siena Stands With... Service Immersion Program offers students, faculty, and staff transformative experiences in communities, both close to home and abroad, struggling with poverty, injustice, and inequality. Philadelphia, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Jamaica are just some of the places in which Siena Stands With.

Domestic Trips

Following are some examples of previous trips that may be offered again in the future:

St. Francis Inn - Philadelphia, pa, usa

St. Francis Inn is a Franciscan community called to live and minister with the poor and homeless of the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The Inn endeavors to meet the immediate daily needs of the local people of Kensington with food, clothing, compassion, dignity, and hospitality.

Important components of this trip include prayer, service, and community. Participants will volunteer in a number of ways: preparing and serving food for the guests at the Inn, working at Maria’s Closet (clothing and thrift store), assisting with collections and donation pick-ups, volunteering at the Women’s Center (females only), or any number of other special projects. This trip serves as a wonderful opportunity for students to interact and work directly with Franciscan friars, Franciscan Volunteer Ministers, and guests of the Inn.

Border trips - arizona, usa

The reality of life on the borderlands is much more complex and unjust than most people realize. This trip will offer experiential learning opportunities that explore the difficulties of migration and life along the U.S./Mexico border. This trip aspires to connect divided communities, raise awareness about the impact of the border and immigration policies, and inspire action for social transformation.

Goals of the experience:

• Explore historical and current immigration policies and their impacts on communities across the borderlands and throughout the Americas
• Speak with people directly affected by migration, including migrants and others who live in the borderlands, and with advocates for migrant justice
• Build connections with people and organizations fighting for migrant justice on both sides of the border
• Think critically about solutions to the root causes of migration
• Develop tools to take action for positive social change in your home communities

DOUBLE H RANCH – LAKE LUZERNE, NY

The Double H Ranch, located in New York’s Adirondack Park, is a demonstration of the commitment and generosity of philanthropist Charles R. Wood and actor Paul Newman. Since the Double H officially opened its doors on July 4, 1993, it has served over 20,000 children dealing with life-threatening illnesses from around the world. It was the second “Hole in the Wall Camp” in what has become a worldwide network of not-for-profit recreational and therapeutic experiences for children with serious illness.

The facility resides on 320 acres of land with waterfront access to Lake Vanare. Facilities include camper cabins that are able to accommodate 126 campers, staff cabins that are able to accommodate a total of 125 staff members, and volunteer cabins that are able to accommodate 50 volunteers. Program areas include an indoor and outdoor pool, a high ropes course, archery, horseback riding and pasture, picnic pavilion, stage area, dining hall, Arts & Crafts building/ski chalet, and various other outdoor spaces used for recreational play and opportunities to explore nature.