Find a place to belong
Share a house with people who share your questions, a neighborhood that welcomes you in, and a congregation that walks alongside you.
Tell me moreShare life and local service with other young adults.
Live with peers, serve with a nonprofit during the week and become part of a neighborhood and a local congregation, through Mennonite Voluntary Service or Service Adventure. The goal is not to “save” a community. It is to listen, learn and contribute alongside people who already know and love the place.
Find a place to belong
Live with peers, share meals and ordinary life, and build friendships that can last beyond your service year.
Do work that matters
Serve alongside a local nonprofit addressing housing, immigration, education, health, food access or restorative justice.
Practice faith beyond Sunday
Ask honest questions, learn from your neighbors and discover how following Jesus shapes your everyday choices.
Grow into what is next
Build practical skills, test your strengths and gain experience that can clarify where you want to go next.
One year. Two ways to serve.
Explore work that matters and space to discover what might come next. Live in an intentional community. Serve alongside a local nonprofit. Practice your faith in everyday life. See which service opportunity is right for you.
About Mennonite Voluntary Service:
Ages: 20+
Length: 1 year, with an optional extension;
starts in August
Community: Peer unit house and host congregation
What’s included: Food, housing, health care and transportation
Unit locations: Alamosa, San Francisco and Tucson
About Service Adventure:
Ages: 17–20
Length: 10½ months; starts in August
Community: Peers, plus unit leaders in the house and a host congregation
What’s included: Food, housing, health care and transportation
Unit locations: Colorado Springs and Anchorage
Which service opportunity fits you?
MVS and Service Adventure both combine service, shared life and faith formation, but they are built for different ages and stages. Mission Network also offers shorter, more flexible and international options.
| Program | Ages | Length | Community | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mennonite Voluntary Service | 20+ | One year | Peer unit house and host congregation | You want an immersive year of local nonprofit service, intentional community and lived faith. |
| Service Adventure | 17–20 | 10½ months | Peers plus unit leaders in the house | You want a supported service year while exploring adulthood, vocation and faith. |
Where could you serve?
Mennonite Voluntary Service locations
Current MVS units are in Alamosa, Colorado; San Francisco, California; and Tucson, Arizona. Each unit connects participants with a neighborhood, a host congregation and local nonprofits doing vital work every day.
Alamosa, Colorado
Immigration, housing, restorative justice and environmental restoration in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.
San Francisco, California
Housing, homelessness, support for mothers and children, and advocacy for nonviolent change.
Tucson, Arizona
Borderlands, Indigenous issues, home repair, English literacy, food access and community support.
Service Adventure locations
Current Service Adventure units are in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Anchorage, Alaska. Each unit is guided by leaders and connects participants with a neighborhood, a host congregation and local nonprofits doing vital work every day.
Anchorage, Alaska
Homelessness, food access, early childhood care and affordable housing in a city shaped by Alaska’s distinct needs and communities.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Family support, disability services, facility maintenance and community events through local nonprofits, churches and Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp.
How the year works financially
Mennonite Voluntary Service and Service Adventure are voluntary service placements, not salaried jobs. The programs are designed so participants can focus on service and community life without the financial worry of paying rent or groceries.
Basic needs are provided
Food, housing, health care and transportation are provided during the service term. Participants also receive a modest personal stipend.
Home-community support
MVS and Service Adventure request $4,000 in support from your home community or congregation.
Student-loan support
Many loans can be deferred during the term. Volunteers with college debt who complete a term may also be eligible for a student-loan scholarship.
Do not let the $4,000 support request decide for you before you talk with someone. Reach out and our team can explain fundraising, support and what may be possible in your situation.
Tell me moreA few reminders
Community takes practice
Sharing a house can be fun and stretching. You will have support, but you will also need to communicate, compromise and repair when things get messy.
The work is real
Some days will feel meaningful right away. Other days will look ordinary. Both are part of learning how steady, local service creates change.
You can ask hard questions
MVS makes room for honest questions about faith, justice, identity and vocation. You do not have to be certain to belong in the conversation.
Interested in service? Here is what to expect
You are not committing to a placement when you complete the interest form. You are starting a conversation. The team will help you understand the options, decide whether MVS or Service Adventure fit and move forward at a pace that makes sense.
