SOOP (Service Opportunities with Our Partners) joins the experiences and skills of adults with missional faith communities all across North America. This short-term service program for families and adults of all ages arranges placements ranging from a couple of weeks to a couple of months.
There are 70 SOOP locations throughout North America and a small number of international locations.
Certainly not! Participants choose to use vacation time to serve and families often serve during spring break or summer vacation. Granted, many SOOP participants are of retirement age, but adults of any age, and families, are encouraged to participate.
SOOP has a minimum of one week of service requirement.
Yes! Some SOOP volunteers chose to do multiple assignments back-to-back, others return to the same service location year after year, while others choose new locations every year.
Sort of. While consideration is given to your location preference, the SOOP director works with local coordinators to determine if your particular skills meet their current needs, if they can accommodate volunteers during your preferred time frame, and if they have housing available.
A local coordinator who administers the program will be your contact person at the location and will provide direction while you are on site.
New applicants are required to complete the SOOP application, provide three references and participate in a brief interview. Returning SOOP volunteers are not required to apply again and may contact the SOOP director directly.
Volunteers are responsible for travel costs.
Lodging and meals are often provided free of charge. Most SOOP sites arrange for lodging or RV hook-ups for participants. The placement description pages contain this information for each location.
SOOP is a network of relationships between volunteers, Mission Network and hosting locations. We connect volunteers and host locations in a way that benefits you and your hosts in the best way. As you become part of this “network,” you become part of something bigger than an independent volunteer experience.
SOOP
- Ages 25+