Stopping to spend a year in the cornfields of the Midwest between undergrad and medical school doesn’t seem like the most exciting or appealing post-grad choice to everyone, but our Volunteers know beautiful opportunities when they see them. Brittany Dymm is a medical school bound LVC17 Volunteer this year serving in Omaha, NE at Hospice House – The Josie Harper Residence. Brittany is a recent graduate from the University of Notre Dame where she studied Biochemistry and Anthropology, and saw a service year with LVC as an opportunity for reflection and spiritual growth before applying for school. Brittany is serving as this year as theRead More →

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A teacher of mine used to say that the why question is very important because it tells you a lot about yourself. June is a busy month at Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) as staff continue to recruit and prepare for the end of one cohort’s year and beginning of another cohort’s year in a few short months. It’s also a busy season for outgoing Volunteers as they think about finishing up their year and what comes next. Incoming Volunteers are busy with summer activities and for many, but not all, thinking about life after graduation. But, the question of why folks consider doing a serviceRead More →

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Morgan (second left), with Koinonia housemates It’s now been more two months since our new Volunteers began serving at their placement sites! For our Volunteers, these months have been  filled with new beginnings, uncomfortable amounts of vulnerability, realizing the importance of intentional budgeting (usually after it’s too late), and finding some peace in that the fact that they’re all doing it together. Volunteer Morgan Simmons is serving this year in Wilmington, DE at Lutheran Community Services and living in the Koinonia House. Morgan is one of a couple of our Volunteers focused on food insecurity, as this year she serves as a Food & Shelter Assistant,Read More →

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Lucas (left) at Trinity on their church work day Although the trail from Yucaipa, California to Omaha, Nebraska seems to be a long one, new Volunteer Lucas Shurson seems to have made the transition well (probably thanks to spending four years developing some Midwestern charm at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN). For his year with LVC, Lucas will be serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Omaha as a Community Connector. As the church’s Community Connector, Lucas’ role is assisting the church’s outreach programs – helping run a couple long-standing outreach programs like Trinity Reads, a partnership program with six different Omaha elementary schools that distributes books to schools,Read More →

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Washington, D.C. LVCer Katie Kovacovich is serving at Brainfood as one of their Program Associate. She is a lead teacher for after- school programming for D.C. high schoolers, where food and cooking are used as a tool for youth development. At her placement, Katie facilitates classes for about 50 students each week during the school year and manages teams of volunteers for each class. Considering how serving with Brainfood has challenged her preconceived notions and fostered personal growth, Katie said the following: “I feel that my most prominent points of growth have been in my understanding of race and culture. And not just in a textbookRead More →

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