Franciscan Common Venture Seeks Volunteers

Erika

The Franciscan Common Venture program, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Dubuque, is seeking volunteers for its service sites beginning in April.

The 2019 Common Venture sites include Dubuque, Waterloo, Sioux City, in Iowa; Winnebago, Nebraska; South Bend, Indiana; Busby, Montana; and Morton and Okolona, Mississippi. Volunteer opportunities range from working in a community garden to tutoring children.

There are also one-day service opportunities available in Sioux City, Waterloo, and at Convivium Urban Farmstead in Dubuque.

“I am grateful to Franciscan Common Venture for enabling me to be part of learning about another culture,” said Franciscan Common Venture volunteer Jenise Seewald,” of her time with the St. Augustine Indian Mission in Winnebago. “I am most grateful to God, for all the gifts I received in this experience: love, commitment, generosity, helping hands, understanding what poor truly means, and listening to Native American stories, their ancestors and traditions.”

Franciscan Common Venture is a volunteer program that provides the opportunity for men and women 20 years and older to contribute their time, talents, and commitment in service among people who are poor. Volunteers are asked to contribute a stipend to help cover food and housing costs and are also responsible for their own costs traveling to and from the volunteer sites.

For more information about the service opportunities and sites and also how to apply, visit www.osfdbq.org/commonventure. Contact Common Venture Coordinator Sister Michelle Balek, OSF, at balekm@osfdbq.org or (563) 583-9786.