Mennonite Voluntary Service
Serve in Community
- Ages 20+
Join an intentional community with peers, serve with a local nonprofit, and plug into your neighborhood and local congregation.
Mennonite Voluntary Service
Be part of the bigger picture. Plug into a community. Join the neighborhood. Grow somewhere new.
Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) is a one-year volunteer service experience for individuals age 20+, with the opportunity for a placement extension for an additional one to two years.
MVSers play integral roles in transforming community social systems relating to health, education, immigration, food, housing and more. Join in this shared mission of actively working toward a more peaceful and just world. No pressure, though — after applying, we’ll work alongside you to determine which placement is your perfect fit.
Experience service in a new way
MVSers engage in instant community through two ways:
- MVS participants live in a house together, sharing joys and challenges, meals and adventures while mutually supporting each other.
- MVS units are hosted by local Mennonite churches that encourage, challenge, and work alongside MVS volunteers.
Making it work:
- Student loan scholarships are available to all volunteers who have college debt and complete a term of service. Most loans can also be deferred during a term of service.
- Throughout the service term, all basic needs such as food, housing, health care, transportation, and a personal stipend are provided.
- Placements provide opportunities to develop skills and gain real-world experience that help you stand out to future employers. Engage your passion or try something new – MVS placements connect you with grassroot nonprofits and their vital, everyday work in the local community.
MVS Placements
MVS stories
By Travis Duerksen
MVS Units
Illinois
Join life in the diverse Pilsen neighborhood and enjoy fellowship with Chicago Community Mennonite Church. Explore God’s call to serve those affected by political, social, and economic injustice.
Colorado
Enjoy the mountains of rural Colorado and a small Anabaptist fellowship, while meeting critical community needs such as immigration, housing, restorative justice, and environmental restoration.
California
MVSers engage with issues of poverty, homelessness and housing in a vibrant urban setting. They also support mothers and children, work with people on the street, and advocate for nonviolent change in society.
Arizona
Nestled between four mountain ranges and buzzing with the energy of a university city, Tucson offers enriching service opportunities with the enchanting Sonoran Desert as its backdrop. Volunteers work with low-income home repair, teach English literacy, help the community food bank, and more – all while learning about issues surrounding the borderlands and indigenous people.
Other Programs
Learn together how to walk in solidarity
Ages 15-22
Families, retirees, and adults 25+
Ages 17-20
Ages 18+
What is a Gap Year?
Taking a 1-year break for service can help you renew focus.
Learn how taking a structured break from formal education has a lifetime of benefits.
