Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Encyclopedia
The Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) is an organization of lay
volunteers who dedicate one year or more to voluntary community service
working with people in need--the homeless
, abused women and children
, immigrants
and refugee
s, the mentally ill
, people with HIV/AIDS
and other illnesses, the elderly, children, and other marginalized groups. More recently, Jesuit Volunteers have worked for environmental education and preservation. Through retreats, local formation teams, and community living, volunteers are immersed in the "four values" of JVC: spirituality
, community
, simple living
, and social justice
. JVC incorporates Catholic teachings and spirituality into their programs, but is open to volunteers of all faiths.
The first Jesuit Volunteer project began in 1956, when the Jesuits of the Oregon Province of the Jesuit
and the Sisters of Saint Ann formed a partnership to open the Copper Valley school, a boarding school
for Native Alaskan
children. The small nucleus expanded through the sponsorship of the Province to become JVC Northwest.
These volunteers so inspired others across the country that regional organizations began to form across the country: JVC East and JVC Midwest in 1975, JVC Southwest in 1977, JVC South in 1980, and JV International in 1987. Since 1956, more than 12,000 people have served as Jesuit Volunteers. There are approximately 400 Jesuit Volunteers in any given year.
In 2009, five of the six Jesuit Volunteer Corps organizations merged to form JVC to share resources for one common mission and strengthen the organization as a whole. After completing a month-long Ignatian
discernment process and consulting with many current and former Jesuit Volunteers, JVC Northwest made the decision to remain an independent region addressing rural, urban and environmental needs in the Northwestern U.S.
Today there are two Jesuit volunteer corps organizations in the U.S., united by a shared history and foundational values.
JVC serves others across four continents and can be found in inner-city neighborhoods like Brooklyn
, New York, a rural reservation in South Dakota
, and about 40 other sites throughout the U.S. They also serve in countries, often alongside Jesuits, in South America
, Oceania
, and Africa
.
JVC Northwest is dedicated to serving others in Alaska
, Washington, Oregon
, Idaho
, and Montana
.
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
volunteers who dedicate one year or more to voluntary community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
working with people in need--the homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, abused women and children
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, immigrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s, the mentally ill
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, people with HIV/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and other illnesses, the elderly, children, and other marginalized groups. More recently, Jesuit Volunteers have worked for environmental education and preservation. Through retreats, local formation teams, and community living, volunteers are immersed in the "four values" of JVC: spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
, simple living
Simple living
Simple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they need rather than want...
, and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. JVC incorporates Catholic teachings and spirituality into their programs, but is open to volunteers of all faiths.
The first Jesuit Volunteer project began in 1956, when the Jesuits of the Oregon Province of the Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
and the Sisters of Saint Ann formed a partnership to open the Copper Valley school, a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for Native Alaskan
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
children. The small nucleus expanded through the sponsorship of the Province to become JVC Northwest.
These volunteers so inspired others across the country that regional organizations began to form across the country: JVC East and JVC Midwest in 1975, JVC Southwest in 1977, JVC South in 1980, and JV International in 1987. Since 1956, more than 12,000 people have served as Jesuit Volunteers. There are approximately 400 Jesuit Volunteers in any given year.
In 2009, five of the six Jesuit Volunteer Corps organizations merged to form JVC to share resources for one common mission and strengthen the organization as a whole. After completing a month-long Ignatian
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
discernment process and consulting with many current and former Jesuit Volunteers, JVC Northwest made the decision to remain an independent region addressing rural, urban and environmental needs in the Northwestern U.S.
Today there are two Jesuit volunteer corps organizations in the U.S., united by a shared history and foundational values.
JVC serves others across four continents and can be found in inner-city neighborhoods like Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, a rural reservation in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, and about 40 other sites throughout the U.S. They also serve in countries, often alongside Jesuits, in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
JVC Northwest is dedicated to serving others in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Noted Former Jesuit Volunteers
- Attorney Hunter BidenHunter BidenRobert Hunter Biden , second son of Vice President Joseph R. Biden, is a partner at Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC and is Counsel to Boies, Schiller, Flexner, LLP, a New York based-law firm. Previously, he was a founding partner of Oldaker, Biden & Belair, LLP.He received a bachelor's degree from...
, son of Vice President Joseph R. Biden
- U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr.Bob Casey, Jr.Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
. He served as a Jesuit volunteer at the Gesu School in North Philadelphia after graduating from the College of the Holy CrossCollege of the Holy CrossThe College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
- King County, Washington Councilperson Bob FergusonBob FergusonBob Ferguson may refer to:*Bob Ferguson , Washington state politician*Bob Ferguson , songwriter, manager, executive, writer, historian and media specialist*Bob Ferguson , golfer...
- Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica MarquezMonica MarquezMonica Marie Márquez is a jurist and judge from the state of Colorado who serves as an associate justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. Previously a Deputy Colorado Attorney General, governor Bill Ritter appointed her to the supreme court in 2010 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of...