Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS)

Last Sunday Sonja Sponheim and Elizabeth O’Sullivan, both of whom live in Minnesota but recently became members of Bear Creek Friends Meeting, were able to be at Bear Creek with us.

Bear Creek Friends Meeting 1/21/2018

One thing we learned about was Sonja’s new job as Minneapolis Start Up Coordinator for Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS). Following are information and links related to QVS.

Mission
Boldly and deeply Quaker – grounded in worship, forming leadership for the present and the future of Friends. Passionately engaged in service and social justice – both helping change the world and being transformed together through the experience. Practicing radical hospitality and inclusiveness – with one another and in the community, following the ministry and message of Jesus. This is the vision and the unfolding mission of Quaker Voluntary Service.

STORY
We are a year of service program for young adults 21-30. If you are interested in living in intentional community with others, exploring your spiritual life and the Quaker faith tradition, and serving in a full time position in a nonprofit, this program might be for you! From the QVC Facebook page

Quaker News
By John Helding, QVS Board Clerk | 5/23/12
FGC staff are excited about this new Quaker initiative and wanted to be sure you heard about it.
Quaker Voluntary Service equips the work and witness of Friends by providing support to a network of Quaker service communities. The first community will launch this fall under the spiritual care of the Atlanta Friends Meeting.
Growing out of a 2009 consultation supported by the FGC’s former Youth Ministries Committee, a dedicated group of volunteers has worked hard to make this vision a reality. Christina Repoley, a long-time FGC volunteer, has recently been appointed the first Executive Director of QVS. Visit the QVS website to learn more about this exciting new initiative, and their first cohort of volunteers. Friends General Conference (FGC)

QuakerSpeak video: Transforming Service, Living Faith: Quaker Voluntary Service

I was very interested to learn more about this program. We need to find ways to engage young people in Quaker oriented work. I was also interested because of the parallels to the Friends Volunteer Service Mission (VSM) that I participated in (early 1970’s). This is the story of my experience there. Scattergood, Draft Resistance and Volunteer Service Mission. Following are some photos from my time at VSM.