Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 272 begins work.

Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 272 has begun its term of service. The group included 19 volunteers. "As always your prayer support is greatly appreciated," said Hannah Kliewer, of the BVS office. "Please think of the unit and the people they will touch during their year of service."

Following are the volunteers names, hometowns or home congregations, and BVS placements:

Travis Beam of Living Faith Fellowship Church of the Brethren in Concord, N.C., serves with the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board in Elgin, Ill.; Megan Carter of Sacramento, Calif., goes to Quaker Cottage in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Cristina Detwiler of Union Center Church of the Brethren in Nappanee, Ind., is serving at the Palms Retirement Community in Sebring, Fla.; Daniel Fryman of West Milton (Ohio) Church of the Brethren, is working for District IV Human Resources Development Council in Havre, Mont.; Lucy Gardner of Moscow Church of the Brethren in Broadway, Va., also is going to District IV Human Resources Development Council; Athena Gibble of Codorus Church of the Brethren in York, Pa., will serve with the Church of the Brethren in Brazil, her interim placement is at the Meeting Ground in Elkton, Md.; Daniel Haenel of Loessnitz, Germany, is going to Su Casa Catholic Worker in Chicago; Kelsey Hollinger of West Green Tree Church of the Brethren in Marietta, Pa., is working at Friendship Day Care in Hutchinson, Kan.

Rachel McFadden of Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind., also works for the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the General Board; Andrew Miller of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., is going to Camp Brethren Woods in Keezletown, Va.; Marni O'Brien of Newton, Mass., serves with the Totonicapan project in Guatemala; Lukas Palm of Ulm, Germany, works for Comfort House Services in McAllen, Texas; Amy Rhodes of Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va., also is serving with the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the General Board; Skylar Rising of First Church of the Brethren in Litchfield, Ohio, serves at the San Antonio (Texas) Catholic Worker; Nathanael Schwarz of Trier, Germany, is going to Innisfree Village in Crozet, Va.; Nora Schwilk of Ulm, Germany, is serving with Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass.; Friedrich Sulk of Hoyerswerda, Germany, also goes to the Meeting Ground; Peter Trabert of Lincoln, Neb., will work for Brot und Rosen in Hamburg, Germany; Matthew Yelton of Melvin Hill Church of the Brethren in Columbus, N.C., will work with Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Va.


The New Windsor (Md.) Conference Center hosted the group's orientation from Sept. 24-Oct. 13. While in Maryland, the volunteers had several days to serve the community including a work day at the Brethren Service Center and A Greater Gift/SERRV. During a weekend immersion experience in Baltimore, the group stayed at a homeless men's shelter and participated in work days at Jonah House and local soup kitchens and resource centers for the homeless population. The group also explored many issues of faith, community, peace, and social justice throughout the three week orientation.

For more information about BVS contact the office at 800-323-8039 or visit www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org.

Source: 10/25/2006 Newsline