2020-21 JVs at Virtual Orientation |
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Dear 2021-22 JVs,
Congratulations on your decision to spend the next year with JVC Northwest! We are so excited to see you at Orientation, August 2-7. We hope you are also getting excited about your commitment to a year of growth, tough challenges, service, and possibly the best year of life ahead of you. There is a lot of important information in this email, so please read thoroughly and save for future reference!
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A note about the Northwest
As you enthusiastically tell friends and loved ones of your upcoming year of service, please be mindful of saying "JVC Northwest" rather than simply "JVC." As you may remember from the webinar and interview, JVC Northwest is a separate organization from JVC based in Baltimore. We appreciate you accurately referencing JVC Northwest when you share news about your next year with us.
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Onboarding forms are now available to you in your applicant portal. All forms and deadlines can be found online where you completed and submitted your application.
Due Now:
- Criminal History Check Authorization
- Government Issued ID
- JV Info Form
- Medical Form
- Health Insurance Acceptance/Waiver
- Policy Review and Acknowledgment
Later this Spring, we will ask you about your travel plans and activate your AmeriCorps profile (for those in AmeriCorps placements).
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Note: Additional Year JVs who served their first year with JVC Northwest do not need to submit a new Government Issued ID or Medical Form. |
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Selecting Health Insurance |
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Each JV is required to have health insurance that meets MEC (Minimal Essential Coverage) standards for the duration of the service year. Note that coverage must be effective upon your arrival at Orientation. Please find the current benefit summary for our plan here.
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Please speak with your family and consider your specific health-related needs regarding health insurance options for your service year:
- Staying on your own/a family plan. Please be sure to investigate if the coverage you are on will cover claims in the locale where you will be serving.
- Enrolling in JVC Northwest's plan. This is a basic health plan (not including Dental or Vision). JVC Northwest pays the cost of the monthly premium, while JV AmeriCorps members pay all other costs for care. Independent JVs can request assistance from JVC Northwest for claims until the policy deductible is met.
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COVID-19, Vaccines, Travel, and Orientation |
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JVC Northwest continues to monitor response to the COVID-19 pandemic in our region as well as vaccine availability throughout the United States. Please refrain from making any travel plans to until we determine whether Orientation will be in person outside of Portland, Oregon or virtually, with JVs participating from their locales. In the meantime, continue to hold the dates of August 2- 7, 2021 for Orientation activities. Additionally, please do not schedule any travel out of locale or visitors to your new locale beyond these Orientation dates until you receive key dates from your Program Coordinator and Site Supervisor upon arrival at Orientation and subsequently, your service site. As a reminder, all JVs are expected to attend all of Orientation.
We will not require incoming 2021-22 JVs to be vaccinated before arriving at Orientation (whether in person or virtual/in locale). However, your service site may require vaccination in order to serve in person. You may be required to provide proof of a negative test prior to travel to Orientation and/or arrival in your locale. More information will be provided later this Spring when we coordinate your arrival with you (JV Travel Form).
If you have any personal circumstances regarding travel or vaccination access/status, please contact Sarah Jones, Associate Director, JV Program, at sjones@jvcnorthwest.org.
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Please note: JVC Northwest is unfortunately unable to accommodate JVs arriving before August 2.
JVs arriving before that date are responsible for finding their own accommodations until August 2.
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For those of you with student loans, please contact your respective lender immediately and tell them you will be participating in a year of full-time service with JVC Northwest (as well as if your placement is an AmeriCorps position). Many public loans (and some private loans) allow options for postponement or reduction of payments for a year of volunteer service, but not all do. It is best to be aware of forbearance and deferment options (or whether you have no options at all) prior to your service year, so you can plan accordingly. |
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Over the last nine years, JVC Northwest and our Partner Agencies have collaborated in our AmeriCorps program, engaging members each year in full-time meaningful service opportunities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. We are grateful to AmeriCorps for the funding we have received as a National Direct Grantee. It is a mutually beneficial collaboration for Partner Agencies, JV AmeriCorps members, and JVC Northwest, and allows us to serve in areas of great need. AmeriCorps-funded aspects of the JVC Northwest program are contingent upon the availability of Congressional appropriations. |
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August is not that far away!
The JVC Northwest community is delighted to welcome you for the 2021-2022 service year, and we hope you are looking forward to all that is yet to come.
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Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest
P.O. Box 22125 | Portland, OR 97269
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