Alumni Begin Year of Service

This August, a dozen Grinnell alumni began a year of service through the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC), a national service-leadership program that unites people to work for peace with justice. The program is popular among Grinnellians, and Grinnellians are popular with the organization, as well. Holding more than 10% of the 104 positions, the Grinnellians represent the largest group of alumni from any college or university in this year’s cohort of volunteers.

After the week of intensive training and orientation on topics including anti-racism work, self-care and intercultural communication, the volunteers dispersed to 13 U.S. cities, each person committed to serve full-time for one year with a particular social justice organization, while practicing simple, sustainable living in household communities of four to seven people.

The Grinnell alumni are serving in a variety of positions — including case managers, program assistants, and academic associates — and in everything from marketing and communications to farm and gardens to academics. They will serve in six cities this year:

Chicago, Ill.

Hannah Bernard ’15, Chicago Community Loan Fund

Elaine Fang ’15, Lakeview Pantry

Eleni Irrera ’14, Free Spirit Media

Katherine Quinn ’15, Lincoln Park Community Shelter

Milwaukee, Wis.

Ankita Sarawagi ’15, Bread of Healing Clinic

Seattle, Wash.

Rebecca Carpenter ’15, Jewish Family Service

Tacoma, Wash.

Fatima Cervantes ’15, L’Arche Tahoma Hope

Brittany Hubler ’15, L’Arche Tahoma Hope

Twin Cities, Minn.

Jordan Schellinger ’15, Twin Cities’ Habitat for Humanity

Alex Sharfman ’15, Our Saviour's Community Services

Washington, D.C.

Georgina Haro ’15, La Clinica del Pueblo

Alexa Stevens ’15, Thurgood Marshall Academy

The LVC says they are “proud of the continued partnership with Grinnell College and congratulates these 12 Grinnellians as they begin their year of service!”

LVC, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is open to persons from all spiritual traditions and welcomes people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered in all aspects of the organization. It supports volunteers as they explore the spiritual aspects of justice, community, and sustainability.

The Grinnell alumni earned degrees in a wide variety of areas: anthropology, art, biological chemistry, economics, French, psychology, philosophy, political science, Russian, sociology, and Spanish.