Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) is an experiment at the intersection of transformational spirituality and activism through fellowship programs for young adults.
In August, 20 young people joined QVS, committing to a year of service. National orientation took place at Pendle Hill, a Quaker study and retreat center outside of Philadelphia, Pa. QVS partnered with 15 organizations in four U.S. cities to offer site placements for the Fellows. For the first time QVS partnered with a for-profit organization: a solar energy company in Minneapolis, Minn., called Cooperative Energy Futures.
This spring, QVS hosted an alumni reunion at Pendle Hill. It was an opportunity for alumni from different years and houses to explore spiritual community in a new era of their lives.
This summer, QVS staff supported Executive Director Hilary Burgin in taking a sabbatical after a decade of service. Everything went smoothly and members of the QVS community missed Burgin’s discernment, executive functioning, and sense of humor.
A five-week summer program for young adults aged 18–20 is under development for 2025 in Philadelphia. QVS has secured a grant for this project, which is headed by Rachael Carter, QVS’s Philadelphia coordinator. The hope is to give young people the opportunity to try different types of service and volunteer opportunities coupled with the community and spiritual seeking that QVS is known for.
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