Welcome Summer Staff 2019

Forest Home Mill Creek Canyon is located in San Bernardino County, at 40,000 Valley of the Falls Drive, in Forest Falls. It is 17 miles east of Redlands off of Hwy. 38. If you are arriving by plane, Ontario International Airport is the closest to the Mill Creek Canyon location. Please arrange transportation from the airport to Forest Home. We do not provide a shuttle pick-up.

Forest Home Ojai Valley is located in Ventura County, at 655 Burnham Rd, in Oak View. If you are arriving by plane, please arrange your flight to arrive and depart from LAX.

Ojai Valley Staff will check in at Forest Home Ojai Valley:

Please use the entrance to the Upper Lot. You may park at the top of the driveway in the Guest Parking area. Check-in will take place in Hansen Room to the left of the parking lot.

Forest Home Ojai Valley

655 Burnham Rd

Oak View, CA 93022

Phone: 805-715-6060

All other staff will check in at Mill Creek Canyon, including Neighborhood Day Camp:

Forest Home Mill Creek Canyon

40,000 Valley of the Falls Dr.

Forest Falls, CA 92339

Phone: 909-389-2300

Check-in will take place in Blinco Lounge. Please park in our main parking lot. Turn right off of Valley of the Falls Dr. up the hill marked check-in. You will pass a kiosk. Follow the painted bear prints to Blinco Lounge.

This information applies to Ojai Valley Staff only!

Check-In Date: May 29, 2019, from 3:00pm-5:00pm

Location: Forest Home Ojai Valley

655 Burnham Road,
Oak View, CA 93022

You DO NOT need to bring your own bedding. Pillow, sheets, and comforter will be provided for you as well as shower towels.

Please bring your own beach towel.

Please read through the rest of the FAQs for the packing list, dress code, Forest Home policies and more.

This information applies to Neighborhood Day Camp Staff only!

Housing: 

For our Neighborhood Day Camp Staff, after orientation, you will be staying in host homes throughout the 9 weeks of summer.  Each week will look very different as some weeks you will be provided a bed and bedding, and other weeks you will use your bedding while sleeping on a blow-up mattress.  The expectation is that you will treat your living environments with the utmost respect and that your hosts will have an incredible impression of Forest Home through your interactions with them.

Laundry:

You will have the opportunity to use the laundry within each of the host homes each week.

Dietary Restrictions:

It is important that we know your dietary restrictions.  Please ensure we know all restrictions so we can plan accordingly with informing your host homes, our host churches, and plan our corporate meals together.

Staff Orientation:

Orientation will be at Forest Home Mill Creek through June 8th. From there we will leave for our first host homes of the summer. Please refer to any and all information related to Mill Creek Canyon for your stay during orientation.

You will be given a staff t-shirt to be worn on specific days. Your manager will instruct further on this as it varies by department. Close-toed shoes are required at some locations around camp. Your manager will communicate when sandals are acceptable.

Do NOT bring:

• Tank tops or sleeveless tops with straps narrower than two inches
• Shorts with less than a 4” inseam
• Crop tops, halter tops, midriffs
• Baggy pants

In other words, dress modestly and appropriately for our environment!

Space is limited and you will be living/rooming with several other residential staff so bring only the absolute essentials. One regular suitcase and one backpack are suggested.

• Light jacket and sweatshirt – temperatures vary greatly in the mountains. 
• T-shirt (see dress code section above)
• Shorts & Pants (see dress code section above)
• Raincoat
• Bible and a small notebook/journal
• Sunscreen & bug repellant
• Closed-toed footwear with good tread 
• Flashlight and batteries 
• Alarm Clock
• Females- Modest, one-piece swimwear. Plan on wearing modest cover-ups or regular clothing when leaving our pool and lake areas.
• Males – Swim trunks must be knee length. Plan on wearing regular clothing when leaving pool and lake areas. 
• Twin-size bedding (pillow, sheets, blanket) or sleeping bag (Bedding IS provided for Ojai Valley Staff)
• Backpack for day to day use
• Toiletries
• Shower towel
• Beach towel

Piercings

Female employees may wear up to three earrings of modest size per ear.

Male employees that have earrings will be asked to remove them. Anyone who has earplugs should wear clear or flesh-colored plugs for low visibility when at Forest Home.

Facial or Body Piercings – Visible piercing will have to be removed when on grounds. A clear or flesh-colored plug may be worn instead.

Tattoos

Whenever possible, Forest Home encourages the covering of all tattoos and/or other forms of body art when in contact with guests. However, we recognize that by virtue of their content, size, and location on the body, some tattoos are potentially more or less offensive than others. Similarly, some are easier to cover than others. Since it is impossible to list every possible variation of tattoo that may or may not be acceptable, if you have a tattoo please contact your Director as to whether or not when and how it may need to be covered. Forest Home reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to ask an employee to cover up any tattoo at any time.

Alcohol

For the duration of your summer employment as a residential staff member, you should fully abstain from all alcohol consumption even on your nights or days off, and regardless of being “on the hill” or “off the hill”. Because it is our desire to protect the integrity of this ministry and to have the broadest possible impact on our guests, the expectation is that you will refrain from all alcohol consumption until after summer.

What will my housing be like?

Living conditions are similar to college dorm life…only a bit more rustic. You and those you live with should expect to keep your housing neat and clean during your stay.

During orientation, all residential summer staff will be living together at Lakeview. After orientation, teams will move to their permanent summer housing.

Canvas tent style housing does not have bathrooms or showers in them, but there are bathrooms and showers located close by. Cabins have bathrooms, electricity and bunk beds. No bedding is provided, bring your own linens and/or sleeping bag!

Are there laundry facilities?

We will always encourage you to do your laundry, so we try to make it easy. Washing machines and dryers are available free of charge on camp property and in some housing areas. Laundry detergent is also provided.

Personal Food Items

We do have many woodland creatures at Forest Home. You are allowed to bring personal food items to Forest Home. Keep in mind that all personal food items must be in a sealed container (ex: plastic box with lid). While in your canvas style housing, all food items must be kept in the provided Bear Boxes. When you move to your more permanent summer housing, food must be kept in a sealed container and hidden from view, away from windows and doors.

Do NOT leave food in your personal vehicle or near any windows/doors.

*Since most residential housing will not have a refrigerator, please notify First Aid if there are any medications that need to be refrigerated during the summer.

We have cell phone service at both locations—Mill Creek Canyon (Verizon Wireless only) and Ojai Valley. Because of our commitment to providing our guests with sanctuary and solitude, Forest Home has decided to remain a cell-phone free destination. This means that we will ask our youth campers to leave all electronics (including cell-phones) at home and ask that all of our staff and guests join us in our efforts to keep the open/public areas at Forest Home cell-phone free.

Internet access is available. Connect to the fhpartner to view your internet options while at Mill Creek Canyon. Connect to SkyNet to view your internet options while at Ojai Valley.

Mail should be addressed to you as follows:

Mill Creek Canyon

(Your Name) Summer Residential Staff

(Your Staff)

40,000 Valley of the Falls Dr.

Forest Falls, CA 92339

Ojai Valley

(Your Name)

Summer Residential Staff

Forest Home Ojai Valley

655 Burnham Road

Oak View, CA 93022

Mill Creek Canyon 

Sandals East Valley               1325 Amethyst St. Mentone Ca 92359                          909-794-9800

Active Church                         12954 Bryant St. Yucaipa Ca 92399                              909-797-1108

Wildwood Calvary Chapel    35145 Oak Glen Rd. Yucaipa Ca 92399                        909-790-0557

Pathway Church                     611 E. Cypress Ave. Redlands Ca 92373                       909-793-2448

Packing House                       27165 San Bernardino Ave. Redlands, CA 92373       909-793-8744

First Missionary Baptist      1100 Occidental St. Redlands Ca 92374                        909-793-4834

Emmaus Church                   1849 Wabash Ave. Redlands, CA 92374

Valley of the Falls Church  40626 Valley of the Falls Dr. Forest Falls Ca 92339    909-794-3189

Ojai Valley

First Baptist Church Ojai   930 Grand Avenue  Ojai, CA. 93023                                (805)633-9055

The Well                                1290 Grand Avenue  Ojai, CA. 93023                              (805)640-0488

Reality Church Ventura     1954 Goodyear Avenue  Ventura, CA. 93003                 (805) 947-5010

Encounter Church               6950 Ralston Street Ventura, CA. 93003                       (805)656-7766

We encourage you to research other churches in the area.

All summer staff employees are covered by worker’s compensation while on duty at Forest Home in case you sustain a work-related injury. No other medical insurance is available through Forest Home for off-duty hours. Worker’s compensation is not the same as health insurance. You must maintain your own health insurance or prepare to pay medical expenses out of pocket. We maintain a First Aid center for minor first aid.