From the director
Welcome!
Thanks for your interest in the Catholic Charities Service Corps (CCSC)!
We use two themes to introduce young adults to the CCSC.
The first one, "Discovering our light... igniting it in others," speaks volumes about the opportunity you create for yourself when committing to a year of purpose, regardless of your reason.
In order to make a difference in the world, we first need to claim our place in it. During the year you are asked to commit to four areas of concentration: Simplicity, Social Justice, Community Living, and Spirituality. We ask you to stay open; to personally define your call to each pillar; and to consider this experience as a holy experiment. We don't ask that you be perfect or experienced with all of them, just that you'll do your best to concentrate on them.
To stay open, you need to come with a willingness to pay attention to the world around you, and the voice within you. Courage and humility are necessary components.
Your initial interest in the CCSC already speaks to the attention you already grant to that inner voice that calls you to action and service, that places value on counter-cultural priorities -- right relationships, reflection, deeper meanings, more connection with God -- rather than on the prestige of power, money, and rugged individualism that permeate our American culture.
Once able to understand how your gifts serve to work to bring justice (and ultimately peace) to your clients and in your community, your ability to serve others begins to take root, subsequently empowering others to define their own gifts and skills.
The CCSC's strong support system creates a safe place for each person to risk and challenge themselves. Support comes from many areas throughout your year: from the director, former volunteers, your supervisors, and your community members. We also take four breaks a year to reflect on what many consider to be an adventure.
Which brings us to the second theme that only begins to speak to a year in the CCSC: "This detour you've taken just may become your path..."
Paying attention for one year as a CCSC volunteer affects your decisions and actions for years to come. Personally, I know that I continue to be positively influenced by my year of service (way back in 1983!) in the way I choose to parent, where I work, for whom and what I advocate, and how I relate to everyone around me.
Here is something to share with your parents, too: as a parent of four children, I really hope that they choose to volunteer for a year. I don't consider this a "year off," or a "waste of your expensive education." Truly, I consider this year to be a necessary complement to the education you have already received in your life.
Rather than take my word for it, I invite you to visit each piece of the website: read the reflections written by our volunteers, during and after their years of service, and spend some time reading about each area of concentration (spirituality, social justice, simplicity, and community).
Then, I strongly encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding the CCSC, its elements, or the application process. I am available to help you in any way you need as you begin to ask yourself hard questions about the next step you'll be taking.
In peace,
Amy Vossen Vukelic
Program Director