Provided to Newsline by the BVS staff
The former BVS volunteer house on Highland Ave. in Elgin, Ill.
Since 1948, the Victorian-style house at 923 West Highland Ave. in Elgin, Ill. has been called home by countless Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) workers and Church of the Brethren staff. It originally was purchased by the denomination to supply emergency rental quarters for staff, on a temporary basis, and then over the decades became the residence of BVS volunteers and interns who were serving at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin.
In recent years, it became clear that the financial burden of maintaining a house of that age and condition while complying with city codes was too much to support. This February a new house was purchased in the neighborhood close to the General Offices, and plans were made to move BVS volunteers to the new house by May. However, because of COVID-19, plans had to be adjusted and the official move took place June 3. The plan is to clean out and put the Highland Avenue house on the market by late summer.
While the Highland Avenue house has sentimental value for many of the volunteers who lived there, the new house is sure to provide similar value for volunteers and interns for years to come.
For more about Brethren Volunteer Service go to www.brethren.org/bvs .
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