Mission Statement: The PV Volunteers are an ecumenical community of diverse individuals. By providing a service experience in a variety of settings, we respond to human need, form relationships and encourage change and growth both in ourselves and with those we serve.

Visit our website to find out more: www.pvprogram.org


Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Tuesday, June 30, 2015


Poverty is not only a lack of money, it's a lack of sense of meaning.
-David Bornstein

Skies threatened for the work day, but luckily held off until dinner time when the sky opened up and dumped a lot of rain. Since both home repair sites were for the most part outside sites, we were very happy for lack of rain. Both sites were also in Clear Fork, about 1/4 mile away from each other. One site the volunteers put the EPDM rubber roofing material on a porch roof that had a pretty bad leak. This site was also a site that Northern Illinois University worked at a couple of years ago over spring break. The other site was also a site that we had worked at before, but many years ago when when we brought the young women from WEB (Womens Empowerment Brooklyn) on their spring break from high school. Then it was laying tile, but today it was a lot of different activities from fixing a hole in the floor, power washing and painting the outside of the trailer, and straightening the underpinning where the earth had pushed it aside. Both sites will be continuing into tomorrow.

We also had a new site helping with an arts and crafts program at Council on Aging, which happens to be next door to The Way. While the commute is very short, the work was very worthwhile and rewarding. Not only did the volunteers help out with the crafts, they also took the time to sit and talk with the residents. We will continue to help at Council on Aging every Tuesday and Thursday.

As the rains came down, we enjoyed a taco dinner and homemade soup, cookies and cake. It was quite a feast! No one can ever say we don't eat well here. Even though we have simple lunches of peanut butter and jelly, the dinners certainly make up for that!

We closed the evening with reflection. Gathered as a community, we asked to reflect on scripture about blindness and in turn how we can be blind in our lives. We went around and shared something new and something good that we saw.


Monday, June 29, 2015

Monday, June 28th, 2015



Christ has no body but yours, 
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Today the volunteers spent the day helping to get everything set up at The Way and ready for the summer. While this isn't probably the most exciting service to do, they did it with enthusiasm and love. Because of all their hard work, the rest of the PVs summer will run that much smoother. Thank you to each and everyone of them!

A large part of the PV experience is community and what better way to celebrate community than to share a Thanksgiving meal together. We had turkey and all the fixings. What a nice meal!

Tonight's reflection we were asked to think about a struggle we have had this last year, as well as a joy. As people shared very personal struggles you could feel the groups acceptance of all and the comfort everyone felt with each other.
 

Off and Running!!!

We are off and running in Wyoming County...Volunteers arrived on Saturday and yesterday was spent getting to know each other and getting set for the week ahead. It looks to be a great week weather-wise, so we should be able to get quite a bit done.

We are once again staying at The Way in Mullens and besides staying there this summer, we will be providing a drop-in center for the kids Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. We look forward to getting to know the kids who use The Way during the year. We will be trying to up date daily, but please be patient as our internet access is a bit limited this year.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

West Virginia Here We Come!

 
 
 
The PV Summer Program in West Virginia kicks off on Saturday. We are expecting close to 100 volunteers to come to the mountain state to join in community, service and reflection. We will be posting daily on the blog, so if you can't join us, please follow along with us on the blog and website, and know you will be with us in spirit!
Send prayers for a good, safe summer filled with lots of great moments and memories, and while your at it... not too hot and not too much rain : )