Baltimore, MD’s Public Justice Center was founded in 1985 to use legal tools to challenge poverty and racial inequity in Maryland and beyond. They actively incorporate racial inequity lens and analysis in arguments to educate around bias, white supremacy, and oppressive systems. In 2021, Public Justice Center joined LVC as a Placement, matching Volunteer Maryam Hassanein as paralegal, health and benefits rights project, with PJC’s supervisor Ashley Black; and Fredson Desravines as paralegal, education stability project with PJC’s supervisor Monisha Cherayil. During Desravine’s years at Providence College, he served in leadership positions such as a Chairperson for the Board of Programmers and a Program CoordinatorRead More →

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Every year, alum Jeremy Rehwaldt — who just participated on LVC’s July program day panel on the Volunteer transition out of the year of service — asks his students at Midland University in Fremont, NE, what it takes to lead a contented and meaningful life. Every year he hears the same responses, yet often the way we spend our time and money don’t support those goals.  Why?  They mention strong family, meaningful work, close friendships, relationship with God, and a sense that they are contributing to the world. He considers how we don’t pay good attention to how we spend or what we support, not seeing or respondingRead More →

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–Update provided by Wellstone House Through the claustrophobic winter of 2020/2021 those of us in LVC’s Wellstone House have been the proud parents of a windowsill full of vibrant leafy vines, succulents, and flowering amaryllis bulbs. On days when we were stuck working from home and snow blanketed the ground, our small indoor garden provided evidence that the seasons would turn and new life would come again. With Easter now behind us, we’re looking forward to tilling the soil in our backyard plot and transplanting the indoor vegetable seedlings we’ve started. Our namesake, Paul Wellstone said “We all do better when we all do better”. That symbiotic wisdomRead More →

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Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) joined LVC as a Placement partner in 2021, and is already a top choice for applicants with immigration mission and career interests. Kristin Witte, director of outreach, shared thoughts on the impact she hopes will blossom from the new relationships with LVC. LVC: Why did you join as an LVC placement?  Witte: We joined LVC as a placement because we know how impactful and formative a program like this is firsthand! Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s VP of Development and Outreach, Andrew Steele, and all of the LIRS Outreach team, were participants in an organized service program after college.Read More →

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Before making it to the half-year mark of her LVC service year, Samrawit Stoner already had ideas for how her Placement could innovate. Serving as Volunteer Coordinator at Bread for the City in Washington, DC, she shared with LVC’s president that she had a few ideas. LVC’s president contacted Bread’s CEO, award-winning community activist and highly regarded George Jones, who catapulted Bread for the City by expanding it ten-fold in response to poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity. Jones said yes to meeting with Samra to hear her ideas. Samra proposed to incorporate bike courier grocery delivery into Bread’s food delivery service, part of the wrap-aroundRead More →

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