As a new year with LVC begins, a new set of Volunteers bring new LVC stories, new backgrounds, and new experiences in service, intentional community, and social justice. We’re excited to spotlight our #LVC17 Volunteers!

We’ll start off Twin Cities Volunteer Monica Sieg, who is serving Neighborhood House (in The Wellstone Center) in St. Paul, MN this year as a basic needs specialist. Monica will be working in both the Food Market and the different family centers, and in the last couple of weeks has helped with mass produce distributions, a school supply distribution, doing intake interviews with participants, learning about crisis center days and some personal work on upcoming projects.

Working directly with individuals and families from St. Paul, Neighborhood House is “a multi-service agency, providing wrap-around services for people when they need it most. Neighborhood House helps people with basic needs, education, multiple youth programs, and health and well-being” (More about Neighborhood House). Monica said that she has learned in her first weeks that Neighborhood House offers these services “to help people in a holistic way from being caught in the negative cycle of poverty.”

When asked about what she’s learned from her placement so far, Monica “My placement reaffirms my belief about how important it is to recognize that everyone’s story is beautifully unique and it is important to be mindful and aware of judgments passed on people. There have also been moments of reflection of what privilege is and how that affects different structures we have in this world.”

While her work at Neighborhood House has just begun, Monica’s journey with LVC has been a longer one. Monica’s older sister is a DC ’15-’16 LVC Alum, and when thinking of her choice to join LVC for year, Monica said, “It was a way for me to see a different side of service while actively engaging with my community during these present, tumultuous times. My goal this year is to gain a new perspective of how to be present and use my gifts to support those around me to confront different kinds of injustices.” As an Elementary Education and Spanish major, Monica is passionate about all types of social justice, but she is particularly passionate about tackling environmental, education, and immigration justice.