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Starting a Volunteer CorpsFor our 20th anniversary, WVC prepared the information which follows about how to start a volunteer corps. To Extend Your Church’s Outreach MinistryWestmoreland Volunteer Corps The Westmoreland Volunteer Corps (WVC) is a one-year domestic volunteer program that places five recent college graduates in direct service to the underserved through internships with Washington area agencies. WVC has a 20-year history of offering a unique program that combines a faith dimension, volunteer service, and solid local support for volunteers. Every year, hundreds of people benefit from the efforts of the five WVC members. For the volunteers who are considering careers in medicine, ministry, social work and fields of community service, the experience gained from day-to-day interaction with persons in need shapes their subsequent decisions for further education and professional training. From among nearly two dozen participating social service agencies, five organizations each year receive the energies and enthusiasm of our volunteers, who serve full time, are paid a modest stipend, and may qualify for AmeriCorps grants. Our church is enriched by the presence of the volunteers, and by the dedication and commitment of church members who support this ministry through three-year terms on the Volunteer Corps Board. First Steps Westmoreland had an unoccupied parsonage and a major decision to make. Sell it or use it for an activity that would extend the church’s mission? The commitment to begin a volunteer corps was made following careful evaluation, research, and multi-year planning. What are your reasons for considering starting a volunteer program? Make sure you have consensus among your members to proceed with planning and investigation, and enough people willing to carry out those responsibilities. As you proceed, get a commitment from your entire congregation and from any additional, applicable governing body. Planning and Investigation Housing – Decide whether group living is important. Identify housing options. WVC volunteers live simply in community in a former parsonage in Bethesda, sharing meals, housekeeping responsibilities, and weekly meetings with a community advisor. Alternative living options are a feature of other volunteer corps programs. Decide which is best for you. If you provide housing, plan, budget, and staff (through board assignments) for maintenance. Placement – Identify and then build and maintain relationships with social service agencies that can offer some financial recompense for meaningful work in areas you consider important. WVC’s partner agencies are committed to AIDS ministry, working with disadvantaged youth, elderly support and outreach, employment counseling and job search, health clinics and maternal/child health care, homeless services and shelters, refugee support, social justice, and advocacy. Each year’s agency assignments are matched with the interests, skills, academic training, and career goals of the five volunteers. Timing – Decide on length of job commitments. WVC’s are year-long, and begin in early September; some organizations sponsor shorter time periods, and summer or semester-length opportunities. Recruiting – Choose dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers. Establish application, review, and hiring procedures. WVC now carries out its recruiting online. Listings on idealist.org, the Fund for Theological Education, and similar services have been very effective. Our website has downloadable applications and forms. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis beginning in March for the fall service year. Benefits – Health insurance is a must. WVC offers a PPO policy to volunteers who are not covered by their agencies. Transportation vouchers are provided by agencies. AmeriCorps grants may be possible; the amount depends on federal funding, the eligibility of the program, and type of volunteer work. WVC has enrolled with the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS) to coordinate AmeriCorps benefits: http://www.cnvs.org. Advisor(s) – Will you provide spiritual/community support for your volunteers? WVC employs a part-time counselor who meets weekly with the group, and provides support for community living, spiritual growth, adaptation to new and sometimes stressful work environments, and assistance with planning the three retreats. Board members serve as mentors and liaisons with agencies. Contracts – Legal transactions will require clear and complete documentation. Who will prepare and personalize all agreements? WVC has a contract with each sponsoring agency that is signed by the board, the agency, and the volunteer; separate contracts between the board and each volunteer outline responsibilities. Governance – Who will manage the operation of your volunteer corps? Build a vigorous and committed board. WVC is managed by a 12-member volunteer board of active church members who develop and manage budgets, set policies, hire the community counselor, evaluate procedures, and carry out the screening and selection of volunteers. Implementation Once you’ve made decisions, have approvals in hand, agencies lined up, board members committed, and policies drafted, WVC suggests launching your recruiting plan at least nine months before your first group of volunteers arrives. Make plans for orientation and welcome events. Support your volunteers every day, in every way you can. Strengthen the volunteers’ ties to your congregation through social events and meals, newsletter articles, speaking opportunities. Embrace change. What worked last year may not be tomorrow’s solution. WVC is proud of our contribution to improving the lives of thousands of underserved people in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. We are just as pleased with the way we have launched careers of dozens of former volunteers. “My year at WVC working in community service with formerly homeless people was instrumental in preparing me for my present job as a counselor and caseworker at a community corrections center and treatment facility” noted a 1997-98 participant in a recent letter. For more details about Westmoreland Volunteer Corps, refer to our website. Go to www.westmorelanducc.org and click on the link to the Volunteer Corps. Last updated 1
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