A New Year of Shared Visions!
Catholic Volunteer Network, in partnership with the Catholic Apostolate Center, is pleased to offer this quarterly e-newsletter for volunteer communities. This is one of the resources we provide to support current volunteers through their year of service. We encourage you to subscribe to this email to receive updates from us throughout the year!
To subscribe to Shared Visions, please click here!
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 Seven Tips for a Successful Volunteer Year
Some advice from recent volunteers!
By Mike Garcia (Red Cloud Indian School 2011-12; Capuchin Franciscan Volunteer Corps 2012-13), Emily Simmonds (Lutheran Volunteer Corps 2012-13), and Gordon Wong (Amate House 2011-12) Believe it or not: You're doing it! You have committed to a life-changing year of service! We want to assure you that any feelings you have are, most likely, totally normal. You may be nervous. You may be excited. You may be overwhelmed, and you should know that it's okay. There is no exact formula for how to have the "best service year ever." As alumni, we have had a wide range of experiences that vary from learning how to cook in large quantities and finding time for prayer, to how to immerse ourselves in our new surroundings. We are no experts, but we've come up with a short list of helpful tips we believe are good steppingstones for your upcoming year of service!
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 Community Reflection
You are the Light of the World!
You are the light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. Instead, it is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16) Fr. Ken is a priest I got to know while I was in college. He had a habit of shouting "you are the light of the world" to just about any student he saw coming his way, even if the student was sleepwalking to class or stumbling home after one too many beers. I was blessed to be on the receiving end of his important reminders many times during my college years, and even now, I can't help but smile at the memory of those cherished moments. Fr. Ken isn't the one who introduced me to this verse, but he is the one who helped me understand its true meaning. Click here to read the full reflection.
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Current volunteer, Kelly Carreiro, shares her thoughts on her first months of service.
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One Small Act of Kindness, One Giant Leap for Humanity
By Kelly Carreiro, Franciscan Outreach Volunteer
Being here in Chicago for about two months has been absolutely amazing. I've learned so much that I can anticipate what the year ahead might bring. Coming from a rather unknown small city in Massachusetts, Chicago has been full of surprises. Up until this point, my interactions and experiences with the homeless population were limited. In the short time that I have served, my eyes have been opened to a whole new set of problems and issues. Continue reading.
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Upcoming Events for Volunteers
Catholic Volunteer Network Symposium on Faith-Based Service
Date: November, 8, 2013
Time: 9:00am-4:45pm
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Catholic Volunteer Network is celebrating our 50th anniversary with a special day-long Symposium on the impact of faith-based service. We will reveal the results of our recent research study to see how far we've come and look ahead to the future of service. Current volunteers can register for this event at a discounted rate of $35 (includes lunch). For more details about this event, contact Mallory Guglielmo at [email protected].
Ignatian Teach-In for Justice
Date: November 16-18, 2013
Location: Crystal City, Virginia
The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice is an annual gathering for members of the Ignatian family (Jesuit institutions and larger church) to come together in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocate together. It is a place where people are empowered, re-energized, inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that sees faith and justice integrally linked. Volunteers who serve for 4+ hours receive a t-shirt and discounted registration. Click here for more information.
National Catholic Collegiate ConferenceDate: November 21-23, 2013 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Join other college-age and post-graduate young adults from around the country for three days of inspiring keynotes, engaging workshops, dynamic prayer and worship, exceptional music and entertainment, networking with peers, and hundreds of resource exhibits. Click here for more information. |
Recommended Resources
Live Simply, Grow in Your Faith, and Stay Connected with these Resources
Two Feet of Love in ActionThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has recently updated their popular "two feet of social justice," now known as "two feet of love in action." Visit this page for resources on how you can find an effective balance between charity and social justice. Catholic Social Teaching ResourcesCatholic Apostolate Center has put together a great compilation of resources on Catholic Social Teaching. Visit this site for tools you and your community can use to dig deeper into the Church's social teachings. Online Retreat 2013: The Spirituality of Vatican IICatholics on Call has designed a four-week retreat that you can participate in right from your home. Just log on to the website for weekly articles and daily reflection questions. Participants should allow approximately 20-30 minutes per day.
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