Service Benefits
- Room and board
- A simple living stipend
- Medical insurance
- Eligibility to apply for an “LV Scholar” scholarship after two or more years of service (see below)
- Eligibility for college loan forbearance as an AmeriCorps member*
- Eligibility for AmeriCorps Education Award (see below)*
- Use of community cars
AmeriCorps
* The AmeriCorps grant is for CVN was not renewed for the 2011-2012 service year and as a result AmeriCorps benefits are not available at this time.
Lasallian Volunteers is a member of the Catholic Volunteer Network. One of the many benefits we receive as a member is the ability to provide the AmeriCorps Education Award to eligible volunteers in our program.
The Catholic Volunteer Network/AmeriCorps Education Awards Program (CVN/AEAP), funded by the Corporation for National Service, is a network of faith based programs which serves people in the areas of public safety, basic human needs, education, and the environment, with a special emphasis on working with youth and the poor. CVN/AEAP is part of the national service movement currently engaging Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to address our Nation’s most critical problems.
Terms of Service
The following terms of service are available to Lasallian Volunteers:
Full-time (at least 1,700 hours for a $5,350 award)
Half-time (at least 900 hours for a $2,675 award)
LV Scholar
After two years of service as a Lasallian Volunteer, LVs are eligible to apply for one of the available LV Scholar positions. LV Scholar positions are available at the 6 Lasallian Colleges and Universities. LVs must apply to and be accepted into a school and program on their own and they then apply to the Lasallian Volunteers to be considered for one of the LV Scholar positions. LV Scholars receive some combination of tuition, room, board, work study/graduate assistant positions. (This combination differs from school to school.)
Personal Benefits
Professional Mentor
Each Volunteer is assigned a professional mentor at their service site to guide and support them through their year of service. This mentor is a seasoned professional in the Volunteer’s field of work. Mentors meet with Volunteers once a month to check in and assist them when needed.
LV Alum Mentor
Each Volunteer is assigned an alumni mentor who either lives in the area where they are serving, served in their location, or graduated from the same university. This helps build connections between alums and Volunteers. Alumni mentors who live in the same town in which the Volunteer is serving are encouraged to meet with the LV in person. Otherwise, communication via e-mail and the phone are encouraged.
Personal/Communal Reflection & Spiritual Direction
Volunteers live in small Christian communities where members are invited to participate in the spiritual dimension of the community through ways that are most comfortable to each member. Outside of scheduled community reflection, members are invited to initiate faith sharing/reflection activities and times that increase one’s opportunity to grow spiritually, both personally and communally. Each volunteer has the opportunity to participate in spiritual direction if interested.
What is spiritual direction?
It is similar to a spiritual coach. In this model, it is only required that the director be capable of drawing out the spiritual talents of the one being directed. This is often done by asking insightful questions and restating ideas expressed by the one receiving direction. The spiritual coach may guide you to a place that he or she cannot go (in a sense). The spiritual coach knows what can work for others and does not limit their guidance to what has worked for them. This is not a required activity for volunteers, but an option that is available.