What Comes Next?

Hey LVCers! Elizabeth Flomo here, from the LVC recruitment desk. Spring has come and with that, thinking about what comes after your LVC year. I want to share a few resources for you as you think about what’s coming next for you.

Planning to move to another LVC city?

Find out about housing & jobs in LVC cities by joining our city/regional email list servs & Facebook groups. Contact me or your program manager with which LVC city list serv you want to on and we’ll make it happen.

Job opportunities
  • RSVP Soon!! Careers in Community Organizing for Social Justice – April 11 Online Info Session!!
    • The Direct Action & Research Training (DART) Center will be hosting an online information session on Tuesday, April 11 at 8 pm eastern / 7 pm central to discuss careers in community organizing with individuals interested in uniting congregations and working for social, economic and racial justice.
    • RSVP at www.thedartcenter.org/april
More details about DART positions

DART hires and trains organizers to build organizations that have successfully addressed issues including:

* Plugging the school-to-prison pipeline
* Reining in predatory lending practices
* Expanding access to primary health and dental care
* Prioritizing funding for affordable housing and job training
* Education reform in low-performing public schools
* Fighting for immigrants’ rights

Positions start August 14, 2017 in Topeka, KS, Louisville, KY, Richmond, VA, Evansville, IN, St. Petersburg, FL, Daytona Beach, FL and Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Starting salary $34,000/year + benefits.

Although it may be helpful, no prior organizing experience is necessary. Fluent speakers of Spanish and Haitian Creole are encouraged to apply.

To find out more about DART or to apply, we encourage you to visit www.thedartcenter.org. Still have questions? Contact Hannah Wittmer at hannah@thedartcenter.org or (202) 841-0353.

  • Idealist.org – Find jobs that make a difference
  • Employers of National Service
    • A database maintained by AmeriCorps, these are employers who recognize the value that service year alums bring to their future employment. You can search by state, type of org (Non-Profit, Government, Schools, etc.), and the link provided goes directly to their career opportunities page. If you find a site that doesn’t have current openings, but you’re interested in staying in touch, look for a link to stay informed about upcoming opportunities
Graduate School Scholarships

If you are wondering if graduate school is for you, make sure to review the LVC alumni scholarship opportunities. And, if you’re planning to go to a school not on that list, make sure to ask whether your year of service makes you eligible for a scholarship or leadership award. If you find out about a service year scholarship not our website, be sure to let me know about it!

Here are two highlights of our alumni scholarships:

  • SIT Graduate Institute – Internationally focused on-campus and online master’s degree and certificate programs based on a commitment to social justice and intercultural communication. Their LVC scholarship is $10,000 per year and they may count your LVC year as your internship requirement.
  • Gonzaga University School of Law Scholarship – eligible to apply to be a Thomas More scholar, which comes with a full tuition scholarship (reviewed annually).
LVC on your resume

Your LVC year is professional experience. Here’s an example where I combine the learning from the whole of my LVC experience (placement, house community, retreats).

LVC on your resume

Professional Experience:

Lutheran Volunteer Corps Member                                                                                        Aug 2002-July 2004
Refugee Resettlement Case Manager, MN Council of Churches, Minneapolis, MN

  • Performed 1700 hours of public service welcoming refugees to Minnesota; provided cultural orientation, referrals to appropriate community organizations, maintain detailed case notes and secured household and furniture donations for clients
  • Gained skills in interpersonal and intercultural communication through intentional community living
  • Received regular professional training, including 20 hour anti-racism workshop, conflict resolution, consensus-based decision making, addressing secondary trauma, and sharing spiritual reflections through Journey Conversations

In Closing…

I, and all of the LVC staff, give thanks for your year with LVC and are so excited to see where you head next as you continue making positive impact in this world. You all are in my thoughts and prayers regularly, and I want to end with a prayer that our Puget Sound Volunteers likely heard as they left Holden Village earlier this week – this may describe how you felt as you prepared for your LVC year and how you may feel as you anticipate what comes next:

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.