Aleph California Inc

We are a collaborative movement of volunteers, churches, families, and children in the Oakview Community bringing Gospel renewal to Huntington Beach. We create Common Ground through Community, Restoration, and Adventure.

Common Ground started in 2013 as a surf camp for kids in the Oakview community of Huntington Beach. Over the last ten years we expanded to a daily after school program and annual retreats.

We believe true Restoration can only be found in relationship with Jesus Christ. We demonstrate this by building trusted relationships between the residents of Oakview, our volunteers, and the churches of Huntington Beach.

We spend as much time as possible with the youth we encounter. Often times this looks like kicking a soccer ball, skateboarding, surfing, painting, cooking, playing music, or anything else you find in common with the kids. It is this sense of community that develops into strong and trustworthy relationships between our leaders, the students, and their parents.

The communities we serve often lack adequate opportunity for youth to experience things that many take for granted. It is because of this that we aim to provide an exciting array of adventures for the youth to embark on. This includes camping trips, surf trips, mission trips, sports camps, and many other recreational opportunities. It is our hope that through Adventure we are able to once more direct kids to seeing the Gospel lived out in their midst.

Common Ground currently serves 50 children a week through our daily programs. Our summer surf camps and winter retreat serve 80 children. Annually, we serve 2,300 meals and share 125 Bible studies. Our most important assets are the trusted relationships built with families in the community, our experienced staff that's been working in Oakview for ten years, and the gospel focus of the program.

Common Ground has a broader impact on the community by building bridges between Oakview and the rest of the city of Huntington Beach, particularly through the churches. People from the church community get visibility into populations they would otherwise not see, and our volunteers get an opportunity to develop relationships with people from different experiences.

Common Ground is supported by four churches and 46 individual donors. We currently do not have a permanent space within the boundaries of the "one square mile" of Oakview. Our previous experience with a rented warehouse in the community proved that a permanent space more than doubles participation, creates access to more age groups, and builds more avenues to create common ground. Considering current market values, properties under consideration, and our current building fund balance, we need about $250,000 additional capital and about $5,000 additional monthly income to support this goal.

The primary population served by Common Ground are children in the Oakview community - middle school and high school students. By every measure of social value – income levels, housing conditions, health, safety, and education – this community is not equal with the rest of the city.

Secondary populations served include parents and families in the community. By giving children an opportunity to go to camp and experience activities in the broader Huntington Beach community, parents are able to access these opportunities for their children. Parents also value the mentoring relationships their children experience.

The church community in Huntington Beach is served by creating connection points or their members to serve. Our various clubs and camps provide open doors for volunteers from around the city to get involved.

We are a faith-based organization based in the community of Oak View in Huntington Beach, CA. Our mission is to intentionally build relationships and bridges with the youth of this community, who often face challenges unique to at-risk populations. Many kids here do not have the same opportunities as other youth in Orange County - many have never been to the beach, experienced camping, or have access or means to participate in typical extracurricular activities.

Before we can get to tutoring, career mentoring, job applications etc, we believe that it's important to foster intentional and genuine relationships, so that the kids who come through our program ultimately feel known. We have observed that the lack of community, mentorship, and resources makes it difficult for at-risk youth to develop healthy identities and make good decisions. Our goal is to meet these kids in the small things - whether it's surfing together, playing soccer, cooking together, or more - and with each interaction, make sure that they feel known and loved. That is what we believe is unique to our program, and what we believe is key to laying the groundwork for a successful and healthy future.

We have a dedicated and devoted team of volunteers, each committed to loving every one of the kids that come through our program. Please join us as a volunteer, donor, and partner to help continue building community, and providing mentorship and much-needed resources to the youth of Oak View!

Our family has been active participants and donors for a variety of charitable organizations over the last several decades. These efforts have usually been focused on helping youth…especially those striving to overcome financial disadvantages.
I served as the initial Orange County Campaign Chairman for UCSB (my alma mater) for 8 years…helping raise awareness to the University’s needs. During the last 15 years we personally sponsored fellowships for underprivileged graduate students. I also served on the Orangewood Children’s Foundation Investment Committee for 13 years. During this time our family were initial sponsors of the Samueli Academy and the Lighthouse project for trafficked women. In fact we personally purchased a laser for the purpose of removing tattoo’s for these unfortunate ladies.

I was first introduced to Common Ground by two long time friends…Whitney Schey and Jeff Peters….both of whom have huge hearts for God and serving their community. After several years of being a donor… I was asked by Andrew Schey, lead pastor of Branches Church in Huntington Beach, to join the Board in order to introduce some “corporate structure” and to assist in identifying a permanent home for our program. In my 3 years on the Board we have successfully transitioned from a “volunteer only” Board to a group that includes representatives from Churches, the community, and volunteers. We hope to add a representative from the City in the near future. We view all these groups as “partners” who deserve a voice in our effort to assist the youth and community in Oakview.

I see Common Ground as a unique organization that combines our passion for helping youth that might otherwise be forgotten by society…and they are in our backyard! Where else can you witness the impact of your time and treasure…daily changing lives for the better!!