Serve in Community
Put your faith into practice with Mennonite Voluntary Service. Join an intentional community with peers, serve with a local nonprofit, and plug into the local congregation. Placements include social or health services, education, immigration law, restorative justice, business and more.
Receive room and board, health insurance, student loan assistance, and a stipend. MVS units are in Alamosa, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; Puerto Rico; San Francisco, California; and Tucson, Arizona.
The Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) program is for young adults, ages 20+.
Participants serve for one year with a volunteer placement, with the opportunity for an additional one-to-two-year extension. Participants live together in community with their peers in a unit house, sharing joys and challenges, meals and adventures, all with the support of a host congregation. Each participant serves with a local nonprofit agency during the week. A local church congregation supports the unit, inviting participants to worship together, engage in small groups, and join in potlucks, picnics and home-cooked dinners, too!
MVS units can be found in locations across the United States! Each unit house is part of a local community with neighbors, a supporting church, service placements, and a lot to see and do! Go to MennoniteMission.net/MVS for the most up-to-date listings of available unit locations.
During your time with MVS, all your basic needs will be met through the program. MVS is a voluntary service program, and while you will serve in a position with a non-profit, you will not earn a wage like a typical job. Food, housing and transportation are all provided through the program itself. A modest monthly stipend is also provided for you to use how you choose.
The MVS program provides a time in the lives of participants to engage in service and community living without worrying about paying for rent or groceries. This is a time to focus on investing in yourself as a whole person, growing spiritually, socially, and emotionally, without being defined by the money you make or spend.
We want MVS to be an option for everyone who wants to participate, regardless of their economic reality.
We request a donation of $4,000 from your home community to help support you while you participate in MVS. This money is often donated by the participant’s home congregation. Many of our participants fundraise to gather this money, but you won’t do it alone. MVS will help you partner with an advocate from your community, to help you find ways to raise the funds you need.
Don’t let the $4,000 discourage you from applying to MVS! There are many ways to fill this requirement, and we will find a way for you to participate in the program.
MVS has a wide variety of positions available, including social and health services, education, immigration law, restorative justice, business, and more. Whether you’re looking for a position that aligns with your major, or wanting to try something new, Mission Network is committed to finding a community and placement that fits you. If you come with a desire to serve, we’re confident we can find a position that suits your interests and abilities.
Yes! Health insurance is provided for the duration of your MVS term, in addition to all your basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation and a personal stipend.
Student loan scholarships are available to all MVS volunteers who have college debt and complete a term of service. Most loans can also be deferred during a term of service. Mission Network will work with you during the application process to make sure you receive the scholarships and deferments you are eligible for.
Applications are accepted November 1 through January 31. Occasionally, we can accept applications outside this period depending on placement availability, but units fill up fast and we recommend registering early to get your top choice.
Go to MennoniteMission.net/MVS to apply.
Each unit will host an orientation upon your arrival at the MVS unit. It will include discussions of MVS values and expectations, setting up your own personal house guidelines; as well as tours to get you up to speed on local history, current issues, transportation, and other details helpful for you as you join a new community.
The MVS term begins in August with an onsite orientation.
Mennonite Voluntary Services (MVS)
- Ages 20+
- 1- or 2-year terms