Brethren Volunteer Service

New Project Information

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) project site.

When you call Brethren Volunteer Service, you will receive a packet of information that includes a general brochure about BVS, and a current project book and covenant, which is the agreement between a project and BVS. This covenant lists the responsibilities of the project to the volunteer, as well as the responsibilities of the volunteer to the project. Volunteers sign a similar covenant with BVS.

The estimated cost of a volunteer for a 12 month period is $10,000 to $12,000. This includes:

• Placement fees - only applied when you receive a volunteer.
  
  

  Church of the Brethren projects: (congregations, camps, homes, etc.)	$750/volunteer/year
  Projects with Annual Budgets from
  $0 to 50o,000:	$1,000/volunteer/year
  $50o,001 to $1,500,000:	$1,500/volunteer/year
  $1,500,001 and higher:	$2,000/volunteer/year

  
  
• $60/70/80 monthly allowance ($720/840/960 annually-net if taxes are taken).
  
• Board: $25 - $50 a week or equivalent in food ($1,300-$2,600 annually).
  
• Room: $350 +/- a month depending on the area and accommodations ($2,160-$4,200 annually).
  
• Transportation to/from work and other miscellaneous needs.
  
• Medical insurance monthly payment of $175. Invoiced annually.
  
• Transportation to and from a mid-year retreat held in the Chicago area once a year.
  
• Transportation for the volunteer to their home (or point of departure for non-US volunteers) at the end of their term of service.

Projects cannot be guaranteed a volunteer even after they become a part of the BVS program. It is not unusual for a project to wait one or two years before getting a volunteer, since BVS has more projects than volunteers. Please consider these factors as you consider whether or not you want to apply to become a BVS project.

Placement of volunteers occurs during one of three or four orientations each year. These orientations are three weeks long.

Contact our office if you have interest in becoming a BVS project.