Lutheran Volunteer Corps
Encyclopedia
The Lutheran Volunteer Corps is a national volunteer service program that was founded in 1979 by Luther Place Memorial Church
in Washington, D.C. Each year, LVC places around 100 volunteers in sixteen different cities in the US to work for social justice with various nonprofit organizations.
, Pastor John Steinbruck
asked in 1976 why a Lutheran volunteer organization was not in place. Luther Place had been gaining momentum and addressing social justice issues through several outreach programs in the 1970s. In 1973, John and Erna Steinbruck co-founded N Street Village, a continuum of care for homeless women. The idea of creating the Lutheran Volunteer Corps was well-received by the congregation of Luther Place as a method of further addressing the apparent needs in the surrounding community as well as expanding to a national influence. By the early 1980s, LVC had set up houses of volunteers in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Wilmington, Delaware. As of 2010, 124 volunteers are in the following cities: Washington, D.C.
; Baltimore, Maryland; Wilmington, Delaware
; Minneapolis, Minnesota
; St. Paul, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
; Chicago, Illinois; Tacoma, Washington
; Seattle, Washington
; Oakland, California
; San Francisco, California
; and Berkeley, California
.
The organization is considering new placement cities for volunteers, and more houses in some cities, to meet growing demand for volunteer positions. In 2010-2011 volunteers will also be placed in Atlanta, Georgia, Detroit, Michigan, and Port Huron, Michigan.
LVC's National Office is located in Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. The National Board of Directors is composed of 15 representatives from the varied placement cities.
Social justice – Volunteers are placed in direct social service agencies or public policy organizations, working together for people and justice. Issue areas that are addressed through LVC include: AIDS/HIV, Addiction and Recovery, Anti-Racism, Children and Youth, Education, Employment, Environment, Food and Hunger, GLBT/Sexual Minorities, Health Care, Housing and Homelessness, Immigration and Refugees, Peace and Non-Violence, People with Disabilities, Seniors, and Women.
Some example placements at which Lutheran Volunteers have served in the past are: N Street Village in Washington, DC, the Midtown Greenway Coalition in Minneapolis, MN, and the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy in Oakland, CA.
Simplicity & sustainability – the idea of living simply and finding ways to be more environmentally aware as well as working towards simplicity of time and a focus on deepening relationships. The stipend of Lutheran Volunteers, which is well under $200/month, encourages volunteers to abandon materials wants and seek fulfillment elsewhere in their life.
Though LVC is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, only about half of the volunteers are Lutheran. The remainder of volunteers come from various faith backgrounds. In all cases, faith discussions and spiritual reflections are encouraged to introduce new perspectives and enrich dialog.
Luther Place Memorial Church
Luther Place Memorial Church was built in 1873 as a memorial to peace and reconciliation following the American Civil War. Its original name was Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church and it was designed by architects Judson York, J.C. Harkness, and Henry Davis. It is located in Thomas Circle in...
in Washington, D.C. Each year, LVC places around 100 volunteers in sixteen different cities in the US to work for social justice with various nonprofit organizations.
History
Recognizing the intense need for volunteers in the 1970s and inspired by many other service organizations such as the Jesuit Volunteer CorpsJesuit Volunteer Corps
The Jesuit Volunteer Corps 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 refugees, the mentally ill, people with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses, the elderly,...
, Pastor John Steinbruck
John Steinbruck
John Frederick Steinbruck is an ordained Lutheran minister who served for 28 years as the senior pastor of Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. Luther Place is an historic, red-stone church located at Thomas Circle, 1226 Vermont Avenue, N.W., in the heart of Washington's red-light...
asked in 1976 why a Lutheran volunteer organization was not in place. Luther Place had been gaining momentum and addressing social justice issues through several outreach programs in the 1970s. In 1973, John and Erna Steinbruck co-founded N Street Village, a continuum of care for homeless women. The idea of creating the Lutheran Volunteer Corps was well-received by the congregation of Luther Place as a method of further addressing the apparent needs in the surrounding community as well as expanding to a national influence. By the early 1980s, LVC had set up houses of volunteers in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Wilmington, Delaware. As of 2010, 124 volunteers are in the following cities: Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; Baltimore, Maryland; Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
; St. Paul, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
; Chicago, Illinois; Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
; Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
; San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
; and Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
The organization is considering new placement cities for volunteers, and more houses in some cities, to meet growing demand for volunteer positions. In 2010-2011 volunteers will also be placed in Atlanta, Georgia, Detroit, Michigan, and Port Huron, Michigan.
LVC's National Office is located in Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. The National Board of Directors is composed of 15 representatives from the varied placement cities.
Core values
Intentional community – Aligned with Luther Place's mission of hospitality, LVC Volunteers live together in intentional community. This idea is inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and encourages open communication and shared diversity. LVC housemates are required to convene at least once a week for an evening of community, and once each month this evening should focus on spirituality, however that may be understood by volunteers.Social justice – Volunteers are placed in direct social service agencies or public policy organizations, working together for people and justice. Issue areas that are addressed through LVC include: AIDS/HIV, Addiction and Recovery, Anti-Racism, Children and Youth, Education, Employment, Environment, Food and Hunger, GLBT/Sexual Minorities, Health Care, Housing and Homelessness, Immigration and Refugees, Peace and Non-Violence, People with Disabilities, Seniors, and Women.
Some example placements at which Lutheran Volunteers have served in the past are: N Street Village in Washington, DC, the Midtown Greenway Coalition in Minneapolis, MN, and the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy in Oakland, CA.
Simplicity & sustainability – the idea of living simply and finding ways to be more environmentally aware as well as working towards simplicity of time and a focus on deepening relationships. The stipend of Lutheran Volunteers, which is well under $200/month, encourages volunteers to abandon materials wants and seek fulfillment elsewhere in their life.
Though LVC is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, only about half of the volunteers are Lutheran. The remainder of volunteers come from various faith backgrounds. In all cases, faith discussions and spiritual reflections are encouraged to introduce new perspectives and enrich dialog.
Some current LVC placement organizations
- AIDS Foundation of ChicagoAIDS Foundation of ChicagoThe AIDS Foundation of Chicago is a non-profit organization based in Chicago and which is active in the field of HIV/AIDS.-Partners:The AFC was one of the founding organizations of the International Rectal Microbicide Advocates....
in Chicago, IL - Chicago Community Loan FundChicago Community Loan FundChicago Community Loan Fund is a certified Community development financial institution , providing low-cost, flexible financing to community development organizations engaged in affordable housing, social service and economic development initiatives benefiting low and moderate-income families and...
in Chicago, IL - Chicago Jobs Council in Chicago, IL
- Faith in PlaceFaith in PlaceFaith in Place is an American organization based in Chicago, Illinois that coordinates religious leaders to address environmental sustainability issues. Partnering with religious congregations, Faith in Place promotes clean energy and sustainable farming...
in Chicago, IL - Howard Area Community Center in Chicago, IL
- Habitat for Humanity in San Francisco, CA
- Lutheran World ReliefLutheran World ReliefLutheran World Relief is an international nonprofit organization specializing in International Development and Disaster Relief. It was headquartered in New York, but has been based in Baltimore, Maryland since 1995....
in Baltimore, MD - Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, WI
- Voices For Children, Omaha, NE
- Hospice House, Omaha, NE
- Nebraska Children's Home Society, Omaha, NE
- Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP), Omaha, NE
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Omaha, NE
- Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church, Omaha, NE
See also
- Community serviceCommunity serviceCommunity 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....
- Faith in PlaceFaith in PlaceFaith in Place is an American organization based in Chicago, Illinois that coordinates religious leaders to address environmental sustainability issues. Partnering with religious congregations, Faith in Place promotes clean energy and sustainable farming...
- National serviceNational serviceNational service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
- Service learning
- Volunteerism
- Youth serviceYouth serviceYouth service refers to non-military, intensive engagement of young people in organized activity that contributes to the local, national, or world community. Youth service is widely recognized and valued by society, with minimal or no compensation to the server. Youth service also provides...
External links
- Lutheran Volunteer Corps
- Luther Place
- N Street Village
- "Nation needs youthful idealism more than ever," USA Today, April 14, 2009