Unit
Settled in the Allegheny Plateau, a deep valley where three rivers meet, Johnstown is home to a University of Pittsburgh campus and is a center for the coal, iron and steel industries. With around 30,000 residents and around 250,000 people in the metropolitan area, Johnstown provides an urban environment with a small-town feel. The house itself is located in a racially mixed, residential neighborhood near one of the city’s rivers.
Church
The neighborhood of Kernville, where the unit is located, is also home to First Mennonite Church of Johnstown, the unit’s main sponsor. Nine Mennonite congregations in the area work together to support the unit. With around 45 members, First Mennonite places a high priority on outreach in their community, and many members and regular attendees initially joined the church in response to one of the church’s outreach programs.
Service
Most of Johnstown's service assignments are intentionally part-time in order to allow participants to experience different job atmospheres in the hope that it can help them make future career choices. Placements include agencies that provide child care, elder care, assistance for disabled persons, and work with the homeless. One unusual placement is with Bottle Works, a cultural arts program.