MVS Unit
Chicago Community Mennonite Church is the sponsoring congregation of the Chicago Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit. The unit is located in the Pilsen neighborhood, a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood of close-knit families and abundant murals. Some violence and poverty are present in the neighborhood, but the area is also known for its animated community life. On a typical summer evening, you will see children playing games along the sidewalks and families sitting on porches late into the evening, and you'll hear music playing through windows of the two-flats and apartment buildings found throughout Pilsen. MVSers also connect with Chicago’s broader diversity through nearby access to public transportation. For the past 30 years, the unit has been housed in the same building, with room for six to eight volunteers. If there are fewer than six volunteers, the unit usually includes one or more associates. The life and well-being of the unit and its members are actively nurtured by the supporting congregation, which includes an engaged committee as well as a part-time local program coordinator. Chicago Community Mennonite is passionate about valuing each person and their voice. As such, it makes decisions by consensus and seeks to aid the MVS community in shaping its life together in a similar way.
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ServiceOver the years, the Chicago unit has been able to provide low-cost, dedicated workers to numerous Chicago agencies engaged in a variety of services for and with those most affected by political, social and economic injustice. Our oldest and strongest association is with Erie Neighborhood House where we typically place one to three volunteers. Erie House is located in the West Town neighborhood. When possible, we like to have a volunteer placed as church coordinator with CCMC. One aspect of this role is to help the congregation stay more connected to the ministries of the church. Typical unit placements include school librarians, community literacy workers, after-school program facilitators, English as a Second Language instructors, preschool teachers, and friends to the elderly. Most positions include a commute on Chicago's public transportation system.
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Church LifeMost MVSers attend Chicago Community Mennonite Church (CCMC), which worships in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. CCMCers appreciate the energy and passion that MVSers bring to the congregation and welcome volunteers who wish to get involved in church life by leading worship, teaching Sunday school, or maintaining a plot in the nearby community garden. As an urban congregation, the church often welcomes new people and helps them find their way in the city for whatever length of time they make Chicago their home. CCMC is a socially progressive, LGBTQ-friendly community with many members involved in peace, justice, service, and education work. The congregation connects with a number of Mennonite-affiliated peace and justice ministries, including a close association with Christian Peacemaker Teams. CCMC's membership is spread throughout the Chicago area, with several living close to the unit house in Pilsen.
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Safe SpaceThe Chicago MVS Unit strives to be a Safe Space that welcomes and celebrates people of any sexual orientation or gender expression. To that end, we seek to create a community that:
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How to Apply
Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) manages the application and placement process for MVS. Contact MMN at (866) 866-2872 x23064 or service@mennonitemission.net or apply via the online application.