ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Mission Network) – Sarah Snider needed 40 volunteer hours when she applied for her bachelor’s degree program. But thanks to her Mennonite Voluntary Service experience, she had nearly 2,000 hours and a career-changing experience.
In 1991, Snider took a break from studying Pre-Physical Therapy to gain some practical experience in the subject. When she applied for MVS, she wasn’t sure if there would be any placements in the medical field. The MVS administrators were committed to finding a good fit. They contacted churches around the country to find a need for physical therapists.
Snider found her niche in an MVS unit in Topeka, Kan. She worked with residents at Aldersgate Village Retirement Community and served as a certified nursing assistant with the rehabilitation team.
As her MVS experience progressed, Snider’s interest turned from Physical Therapy to Occupational Therapy. She liked the way that Occupational Therapy adapted exercises according to the daily activities that the residents wanted to do, like drink coffee or dance. Physical Therapy, on the other hand, works on large motor skills like balance, strength, and range of motion.
While in MVS, Snider gained experience in Occupational Therapy, which allowed her to change her vocational path before graduating. But MVS did more than guide Snider’s career. “I felt that it rounded me into an adult.”
Serving in a retirement community stretched Snider’s faith as she dealt with death frequently. She faced questions about mortality and God’s compassion amidst death. Snider’s host church became an important part of her grieving and growing process.
“They never imposed or tried to win me over,” said Snider. But after many conversations, Snider’s view of God came to include a compassionate God who walked alongside those who suffer. Snider remembers and appreciates how people in her host congregation knew when to share, and when to smile and support.
MVS’s emphasis on simple living also impacted Snider. “I learned to live on a lot less,” Snider said. The unit would make a budget and divide the month’s money into envelopes. “When we ran out of grocery money, we just ate out of the freezer.” Snider isn’t sure how she would have saved up enough money to return to college if she hadn’t learned to budget.
When Snider returned to college, she used the AmeriCorps funds that she received for her volunteer experience, to study Occupational Therapy, and continued toward her bachelor’s degree. Currently, Snider works at Western State Hospital in Staunton, Va.
“I wonder if it’s possible to get out of MVS without having it influence your career direction in life,” Snider said.
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Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
