idealist.org

Best described as a combination of the Peace Corps and MTV’s Real World, the Catholic Charities Service Corps (CCSC) in Buffalo, NY, is a year-long program that runs from August to August. Young adults from all parts of the country are invited to “discover their light, and ignite it in others” by staying open to four core values: Community, Social Justice, Spirituality, and Simplicity.

Buffalo, NY is known as the City of Good Neighbors, as well as the third-poorest city in the nation.

Young adults commit to working with people who are poor and/or marginalized in various agencies throughout the area. CCSC members live together in intentional communities, offering the members a chance to refine communication skills, while also allowing them support and companionship through what some believe to be one of the hardest and life-giving experiences of their lives.

Room, board, transportation, personal expenses, and health insurance are provided.

To address the difference between Necessity vs.Luxury, members fast from all things electronic for the first month of the program. Some volunteers are eligible for a $4700 Education Award. In the process, young adults discover or refine their skills, interests, and talents

The CCCS program supports its volunteers with a strong network of staff, former volunteers, agency supervisors, and community resources, all of which encourage volunteers to grow into their "light," and inspiring them to "ignite it in others."

Many former volunteers believe that this one year of service is a life-changing experience because it challenges them to live, love, and grow.

Preliminary Application available at www.ccservicecorps.org

Amy Vossen Vukelic
avossvuk@ccwny.org
716-218-1450, ext. 208
741 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14203

Fan Page on Facebook