IVC Stories
Lord, Take Me Where I’m Most Needed Today
This blog post from Ignatian Volunteer Marta Sayeed was originally published in IVC Chicago's Footprints blog. For several years, I have volunteered as a chaplain assistant at Stroger (formerly Cook County) Hospital. Earlier this year, it took me longer to decide if...
A New Group of Students for this Professor
Jan Allen retired in January 2015 from a 40-year career as a college English professor, having taught in France, the Netherlands, Illinois, and the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland. She wanted to give back to the community and...
Where Did I See God in my Service Ministry?
by Bill Mackey My service work through IVC is tutoring kindergartners in the after school program at Winton Hills Academy. The students and tutors meet three times a week and work with materials and a curriculum developed to help students increase their reading...
“God, what do you want from me today?”
by Katie McGinnity, IVC Intern “Everyday I would go into the high school I would say, ‘God, what do you want from me today?’. I focused on listening and listening and trying to discern what part I played – what God wanted me to do with this school at this time.”...
at The Franciscan Center…
This reflection comes from Ignatian Volunteer Mark Wong of Baltimore, who presented these remarks to the IVC National Board at their meeting in 2016. Good morning. I’m Mark. First, I would like to express my gratitude to you for your sacrifice and all the work that...
How can the heart not be touched?
This blog post comes from Ignatian Volunteer Mark Wong of Baltimore, who presented these remarks to the IVC National Board at their meeting in February. Good morning. I’m Mark. First, I would like to express my gratitude to you for your sacrifice and all the work that...
Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity
Jesse Coronado receives inspiration from Pope Francis’ words, “Works of love directed to one's neighbor are the most perfect external manifestation of the interior grace of the Spirit,” from The Joy of the Gospel. Jesse is an Ignatian Volunteer in Los Angeles, serving...
Shedding Light in the Dark
by Mike Galbreath Dark. Pitch black. No power. No lights. Basement waters now four inches and rising… Days and days of winter rains and melting snows. Is this why I volunteered? Slipping face-down into the dark, oily water. Nothing to pull me up. Am I gonna drown in...
“It’s Snack Time!”
By Linda Wihl Click for Printable View. I end each tutoring session by yelling, “It’s snack time!” And, if allowed by their tutors children come running to the circle to get a snack. It’s a reward for good work—we operate on the “Little Red Hen” principle: do the work...