You never know what type of weather to expect in March in Wyoming County, but today we were blessed with a beautiful summer-like day. The weather made our choice of an outdoor site even that much better. The project, which will take most of the week, is building  a ramp for an older couple who are both battling illness. The couple are active members in their community volunteering at the Food Bank and and helping out wherever they can. Their positive attitudes and willingness to do anything to help (including lending us tools and cold water) were wonderful to be around for the day. Everyone had a great time and we look forward to going back during the week.

A second group went to the Food Bank to give the floors a fresh coat of non-slip paint before distribution day on Friday. While this isn’t a very showy job, it is a very needed job. On Friday over 600 families will come in to get food assistance and because of their work the space looks fantastic and ready for “business.”

The third group of students spent their day helping out at the Baileysville Head Start. Each year NIU students help out at this Head Start and it is great to see that relationship build through the years. Students and teachers remember the NIU students and ask after the students from the year ahead. They are obviously making a great impression!

After the first day under their belts, look for more fantastic work tomorrow!

Making a plan of attack

Food Bank Floor Painting Crew

Eighteen years ago, the first group of college students from Northern Illinois University arrived in Wyoming County, West Virginia for a week long spring break immersion trip with the PV Volunteers. Last night thirteen students arrived to continue the tradition. This year’s group is a mix of returners from last year and first timers. They spent the day today bonding as a community and enjoying the beauty of the West Virginia mountains. As the evening drew to a close, there was an orientation to the area and the service ahead and staying with PV tradition, we finished the evening with the PV Commissioning Service as a way to prepare ourselves for the week.

We are looking forward to another great week with the students from NIU. Check back daily for updates on the week.

A view  of the beautiful West Virginia skies from the Beckley Lowes parking lot as we loaded

the truck with supplies for the home repair site

Thank You PV Community and Friends!!!

Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, tweeted, liked, etc. our YouCaring crowdfunding campaign.  We have had a fantastic first 24 hours raising over $1,500. Lives will be touched because of your generosity. Can’t wait to see what the next month holds!  https://www.youcaring.com/pvs

We have decided to create a hashtag to use for the next month during the campaign and what better phrase than one that has been with the program for over 20 years, #beapartofit. When you post about the PVs, use the hashtag and lets see if we can get it trending!

Today we kick-off a special fundraising campaign to help keep the PV Volunteers going after 42 years. The Board of Directors has set the goal to raise $15,000 in the next month as a bridge until the grant funding becomes available. If the program is to continue, we need EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU to step up and take action. Please consider joining our efforts. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!

You can read more about this effort and donate by going to our YouCaring page: https://www.youcaring.com/PVs

Have you thought about visiting Seattle? Do you feel recharged after volunteering and living in community? If you answered yes to both of these I invite you to consider being a part of the Seattle PV Week, April 24th-30th. Space is somewhat limited, but we do still have a few spots open. If you are a returning PV, just let me know you are interested. If you would like to join the PVs for the first time, send us an email (pvprogram@gmail.com) and we can begin the application process.

Patti, a longtime PV from NYC, shares with you her experience in Seattle last year and invites you to join her this year:

I have been a PV for 15 years, serving mostly in West Virginia and Bedford Stuyvesant. Last year though, I went to Seattle and had another wonderful PV experience! Seattle is unique blend of city and port and mountains and nature and green minded thinking. Our service experience was unique as well in that we went to a different site each day. But wherever we went, the facilities and the people who ran them, as well as the other volunteers we served alongside, were absolutely impressive in their level of compassion and commitment to taking care of those in need. We worked in soup kitchens, and clothing distribution centers, we helped prepare and serve hot meals to those who cannot be inside, we mulched a garden for school children who are growing organic food for the community, and we pulled invasive blackberry as part of Seattle’s forest restoration. In true PV-style, we reflected each night on each day. It was a truly great week, and that’s without even mentioning the coffee. And don’t get me started on the Fremont troll… I’m going back this year. I have to. Come and join us!

To read more about the activities the PVs do during the week, please check the archives for April/May from the past few years. We do slightly different activities each year, but it will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Now that we are solidly in 2016, we can look ahead to all the activities planned for the PVs. Pull out your planners and calendars and “Be a part of it…”

NIU Spring Break-WV March 12th -19th – for the 18th year, NIU students will join up with PV Staff for a service week in Wyoming, County

Steering Committee Meeting/Youth Leadership Group Meeting April 9th – These PV Leadership groups will meet up for their annual meetings with PV Staff

PV Potluck – Bradley Beach, NJ April 9th – This now annual event brings together the PV family to enjoy each others company and food!

Seattle PV Week April 23rd – 30th – For the 4th year, the PVs will be spending a week of service in and around Seattle. They will be joined by local volunteers for their different service activities and finish the week with a potluck with area supporters.

West Virginia PV Program June 25th –July 23rd The longest running of all our program offerings, the PVs will once again have a presence in Wyoming County, WV. During the four week program we anticipate around 100 volunteers to participate.

Aurora PV Week Sept 10th -17th Also in its 4th year, the PVs will be spending a week of service in and around Aurora, IL. They will experience a lot of different service activities and meet many wonderful people while serving.

PV Evaluation/Reunion Weekend Oct 8th -9th Our annual weekend to look back on the year of activities and decide where to go from here.

Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY The WEB (Womens Empowerment Brooklyn) program continues to meet during the year thanks to the dedication of a couple local volunteers. It still remains our hope to bring back the camp that we ran in the summer for over 15 years.

On this GivingTuesday, we want to thank and recognize the many wonderful people who call themselves PVs. Being a PV means you are part of something bigger than yourself. You have deliberately chosen to be part of a community, living simply, being of service in whatever way you can- always with an open heart and a listening ear, and reflecting on these experiences and figuring out ways to bring these experiences home with you. Thank you to the hundreds of people who are part of the PV family. Your generosity and compassion is an example and inspiration to all! Below are some of the smiling faces of our wonderful volunteers during service in West Virginia, Brooklyn, Seattle and Aurora.

If you would like to support our work, please use the “Donate Now” button to the right. Thank you!!!

This November, the GivingTuesday movement is running #MyGivingStory, a new storytelling contest that will highlight acts of generosity that may take place out of the public spotlight. They are asking individuals across the country to share their personal reasons for giving, and then share those stories with their communities.

As a supporter of the PVs we’d be honored if you would take this opportunity to reflect upon your commitment to our work. Winners will receive GlobalGiving gift cards ranging from $100-$500. The nonprofit they write about in their essay will receive $1,000-$5,000 grants.

How to enter #MyGivingStory:

• Go to the contest entry form(http://woobox.com/kxdcce) or visit the #MyGivingStory tab on #GivingTuesday’s Facebook page.

• Post a short essay (200 words or more) responding to the question, “What inspires you to give?”

• In it, tell the story of a specific instance in which you supported a nonprofit organization in a way that was meaningful to you.

• Submit your essay by November 24

• Share and promote your submission on social media with #MyGivingStory and #Giving Tuesday

Contact info@givingtuesday.org with any questions!

Thank you for your support of the PVs. We are really excited about #MyGivingStory and hope you will participate and share all the wonderful work you do in the name of the PVs with your family, your friends, and the world!

More info:
http://www.givingtuesday.org/mygivingstory/

We are back after a little technical glitch with our website and wanted to provide a summary of all the wonderful work the volunteers did during the week, as well as share a few more pictures.

It was a great week with a wide variety of experiences and opportunities:

• Hesed House – Volunteers prepared and served a meal, cleaned out a storage room that was effecting the heath of residents, painted an office used for pro-bono legal work, helped to retrieve a donated vehicle
• Hesed House/Lighthouse – Volunteers removed an old carpet in two rooms of an apartment that was causing respiratory issues for it’s resident and replaced with a new carpet. The resident was a former guest at Hesed House and is still part of their Light House Program, following up with needed service.
• St. Rita’s Catholic Church – Volunteers helped to lay a floor in two rooms for a family who recently purchased a house that needed some work. The family provided the flooring and some of the equipment needed, (and lunch!) we just provided the labor.
• World Relief (Refuge Services) – Volunteers helped to move items from a neighboring town, drive the large U-Haul truck and set up for their annual fundraising dinner. Once all the items were at the venue, volunteers set up a mock refuge camp and a mock first apartment when refuges arrive. The coordinator of the event was on crutches and appreciated all the extra hands.

Our last work day in Aurora…. Today we decided to divide and conquer. We had one group go and finish up the flooring that we started on Wednesday. Everything went smoothly and we were done pretty much by lunch time. Once again the home owners provided a wonderful lunch for us. About an hour after lunch we had finished up all the little touches and were on our way. The floor turned out great and we look forward to coming back next year to share a meal with the family, at their request.

The other group went to remove an old carpet in two rooms and reinstall a new one for a woman in Aurora. She was having some health issues due to the dirty carpet in the apartment and it was the hope that a new carpet would improve her health and well being. By early afternoon a beautiful carpet was laid and the homeowner couldn’t have been happier. We will post pictures when we get them next week.

All week we had been hearing about the Cosmopolitan Grocery Store. This is a grocery store/restaurant/bar. We decided to take a group trip to check out the store and ended up eating dinner there. It was a lot of fun and a great community time.

We wrapped up the week with a closing reflection. We took the time to look back at the week and share the stories and the people that touched us and changed us. A huge thank you to the volunteers who took the time out to join us this week and to our hosts, Susan and Bruce for opening up their house to us and setting up the service opportunities that we were able to experience.