What is LVC?
What are the qualifications for being a volunteer?
Do volunteers have to be American citizens?
What about married couples?
How and when do volunteers apply?
What are the chances of getting in?
How long is the LVC commitment? When does it start?
What are the financial arrangements? Do volunteers get paid?
Can student loans be deferred?
Where do volunteers work?
What skills do volunteers need?
What about vacation time and work schedules?
Where do volunteers live? What is intentional community?
Are the neighborhoods safe?
How simple is simple? What is the LVC lifestyle like?
How is faith and spirituality lived out?
How is LVC different from other volunteer programs?
What do most volunteers do after they serve in LVC?
How is LVC governed and funded?
What is LVC?
The Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) is a one-year domestic volunteer service program. It is for people who want to explore their spirituality while working for social justice, living in intentional community with other volunteers, and simplifying their lifestyles.
LVC was founded in Washington, DC, by Luther Place Memorial Church in 1979. Since its beginning, the Lutheran Volunteer Corps has placed over 1,600 volunteers in social service agencies in ten urban areas across the country.
What are the qualifications for being a volunteer?
LVC welcomes applications from persons who are 21 or older and who are self-motivated, mature and stable. Volunteers should want to grow in the areas of spirituality, justice, community and simplicity. Volunteers often find themselves in new and unexpected situations, so flexibility, openness, and a sense of humor are essential.
LVC is open to persons from all faith backgrounds. LVC does not discriminate due to ethnicity, race, creed, age, culture, disability, economic class, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Because of the nature of the work and community life, applicants are requested to be in good physical and emotional health. Those in recovery from alcohol or drug abuse are requested to have a minimum of two years sobriety before applying.
Do volunteers have to be American citizens?
No, but they need to obtain a work visa independently.
What about married couples?
Married couples with no dependents have participated successfully in LVC. Living as a married couple in community with single volunteers may be challenging and often requires special considerations, but it can also provide enriching opportunities for all. Both husband and wife must apply and be accepted.
How and when do volunteers apply?
Volunteer applications for the upcoming year can be downloaded from LVC's website. Applications must be received in LVC's DC office by January 15, March 14, or May 1. In order to have the widest variety of agencies available, it is best to apply early. When a completed application is received in the LVC office, a staff person will contact the applicant to begin the interview process.
After an initial interview with LVC, applicants are notified of their acceptance into the program. Applicants then interview with several agencies in their area of interest until a mutually satisfying placement is found.
What are the chances of getting in?
Excellent, if you meet the basic qualifications and are flexible about where you will go. Each application is carefully screened by a member of the LVC staff to make sure the applicant is well motivated, emotionally stable, and understands the commitment.
How long is the LVC commitment? When does it start?
LVC requires a one-year commitment. All volunteers gather in mid-August for a five-day orientation, which concludes with a Commissioning Service. Volunteers then travel to their placement cities for the start of their volunteer year. Volunteers are committed to LVC and their placements until mid-August of the following year.
What are the financial arrangements? Do volunteers get paid?
Volunteers are reimbursed, up to a certain amount, for travel to orientation and to the city where they will serve. LVC provides funds for transportation to and from retreats during the year and for transportation home at the end of the year. Placement agencies (where volunteers work) provide medical insurance and pay for housing, utilities, food, and transportation to and from work (usually a bus pass). Volunteers receive two weeks paid vacation as well as a small personal stipend of $100 a month.
Volunteers might not save much money during their year, but most find the living allowance adequate to cover their needs. Volunteers who complete a term of service may also be eligible to receive a $4,725 AmeriCorps Education Award.
Can student loans be deferred?
Federally guaranteed student loans typically can be deferred for the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. Check with your university and/or lending institution to confirm eligibility and to obtain the appropriate forms. Volunteers may also be eligible for educational/loan forgiveness awards through AmeriCorps, depending on the type of work they do.
Where do volunteers work?
Volunteers live and work in the inner cities of:
*Baltimore, MD
*Chicago, IL
*Milwaukee, WI
*San Francisco Bay Area, CA
*Seattle, WA
*Tacoma, WA
*Twin Cities, MN
*Washington, DC
*Wilmington, DE
Volunteers help communities tackle challenges in the areas of education, public safety, human needs, and the environment. Each placement organization must provide a substantive and meaningful work experience for the volunteer and must be broadly committed to goals of social justice. Many programs offer the opportunity for hands-on direct service. Others look to volunteers to help coordinate, develop and manage projects by fundraising, recruiting volunteers, or creating systems that change communities.
Placements are varied and include schools, environmental organizations, shelters, programs for women and youth, medical and legal clinics, refugee services, public policy organizations, community organizers, senior service providers, food banks, and general social service agencies.
LVC works with the applicant's preferences; however, applicants need to be flexible about going where there is a need. To finalize a placement, the volunteer must choose the organization, and the organization must choose the volunteer. All volunteers work full-time.
What skills do volunteers need?
People from all skill backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Some programs have specific skill needs, and others look for a bachelor's degree or a few years of related volunteer or job experience. Spanish competence is helpful in many placements and required for some.
What about vacation time and work schedules?
Volunteers receive two weeks of vacation and follow the vacation policies of their placement agencies. LVC retreats are not counted as vacation time.
Work schedules depend on the job description. Most follow a 40-hour week with weekends off; however, some jobs require evening, overnight and weekend work.
Where do volunteers live? What is intentional community?
Volunteers live in communities of four to seven people. They live in low to middle income, racially diverse neighborhoods which are chosen with regard to safety, access to public transportation, and proximity to work sites.
Volunteers may share bedrooms, but in some cases have their own rooms. Homes are adequately but simply furnished with donated kitchen supplies and furniture.
As a community, volunteers decide how to handle finances, agree on regular times to be together, learn how to make decisions and resolve conflict through consensus, and divide household responsibilities. Through these activities, the household becomes a support system, or intentional community, to celebrate the joys and cope with the challenges of the volunteer year.
Are the neighborhoods safe?
Most volunteers live in neighborhoods where crime does occur; however, volunteers are encouraged to explore the cities they live in and get to know their neighbors. Volunteers' most common experiences with crime are petty thefts of things like CD players and bikes.
There are some built-in safety factors. All volunteers attend an urban safety seminar at orientation. Living in community assures volunteers that someone is around most of the time. Local Support Committees and former volunteers are neighborhood resources as well.
How simple is simple? What is the LVC lifestyle like?
Volunteers live under financial constraints, but basic needs are met. LVC asks volunteers to limit their spending to the amount of their stipends. Volunteers are asked not to work for pay outside of their placement, take classes for credit, or work a lot of overtime. Volunteers may bring musical instruments, CD players, bikes, etc.
A simplified lifestyle is one of the harder challenges the volunteers face in our world of plenty because living simply is much more than living on a volunteer stipend. It's also considering the use of time and resources. The LVC experience invites individuals to embrace a year of intentional simplicity, in order to open their hearts and minds to the needs of their local and global communities.
How is faith and spirituality lived out?
LVC is open to people from all spiritual journeys. About one-half to two-thirds of volunteers come from Lutheran backgrounds. Some may not identify with a particular faith or denomination. Some may be outwardly disciplined in their religious practices while others may not.
LVC requires that volunteers be open to exploring and experiencing faith and spirituality with others. Volunteers are expected to share in a faith/spiritual centered activity with one another at least once a month and be willing to participate in worship services at orientation and retreats. Volunteers are encouraged to seek outside faith communities as well.
How is LVC different from other volunteer programs?
LVC has a 28 year history of offering a unique program that combines a spiritual dimension, volunteer service, and solid local support for volunteers.
An LVC staff member serves as a support person to volunteers in each city. This staff person is a listening ear, conflict mediator, and facilitator of communication between volunteers and staff. In addition, each city has a Local Support Committee (LSC) composed of former volunteers, pastors and other interested individuals. LSCs supply information, address practical needs, and provide other resources for volunteers. Each community works with an LSC support team on community issues throughout the year. This is especially helpful as communities set goals and expectations for the year.
LVC also schedules three regional retreats each year. These retreats provide time for personal reflection, discussion, and recreation.
The spiritual dimension and emphasis of living in intentional community set LVC apart from other programs.
What do most volunteers do after their LVC year?
Volunteers do many things after their year. For many, the LVC experience is the beginning of a life-long commitment to working for justice and peace. Some volunteers continue on as salaried employees at their placements while others seek positions in other social service agencies. Some take positions in the private sector or government and gain new perspectives on complex issues. Others go on to graduate school to pursue careers of service (social work, education, law, medicine, ministry). Finally, some complete a second year of volunteer service!
In general, volunteers gain valuable work and life experience that is well respected and helpful in whatever they choose to do next.
How is LVC governed and funded?
LVC was founded in 1979 as an ecumenical ministry of Luther Place Memorial Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Now as an independent nonprofit organization, LVC is governed by a Board of Directors that meets three times per year.
LVC receives support from congregations, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, foundations, national/synodical offices of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and, of course, individuals.