hey everybody,
here's the first post of the new blog! this blog is for the mvs nyc unit, to post pictures, stories, shout-outs, etc. that they want to share with family and friends and the rest of the world. maybe it will be a way for loved ones far away to stay connected to what the unit is doing, maybe it will turn into a staging ground for fierce debates on the merits of community living in a large urban city; only time will tell. hopefully it will be a vibrant space for the unit to reflect on their volunteer experience.
current mvs nyc unit members and support committee members are welcome and encouraged to contribute writings, pictures, video, links, etc. to this blog. everyone else is welcome to read it.
the fine print: all blog postings will be reviewed for inappropriate content, and the administrator (me) reserves the right to delete postings deemed nasty, in poor taste, or unsightly.
dan.
MVS New York City
A blog by and for the New York City Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit
MVS NYC calendar
The Manhattan MVS unit is affiliated with Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship. Both seek to bear witness to Christ by engaging in a mission of peace-seeking and evangelism in the heart of New York City. The unit and the fellowship seek to enact a "gospel of reconciliation in the city" by active engagement in "reflective evangelism" and in peace and service ministries. The focus is on urban ministries, particularly to those on the margins (e.g., the homeless, immigrants, people with AIDS) who are being increasingly left behind by the exploding technology and service industries.
Location
There are roughly 7.5 million people living in the five boroughs of New York City--one of the few places on earth where people from nearly every corner of the globe co-exist. Some of the largest immigrant groups include West Indian, Chinese, Dominican, Mexican, Guyanese, Russian and West African. Immigrants often congregate in certain neighborhoods where visitors might feel as if they have been suddenly transported to some far-flung place.
| MVS Application |
There are roughly 7.5 million people living in the five boroughs of New York City--one of the few places on earth where people from nearly every corner of the globe co-exist. Some of the largest immigrant groups include West Indian, Chinese, Dominican, Mexican, Guyanese, Russian and West African. Immigrants often congregate in certain neighborhoods where visitors might feel as if they have been suddenly transported to some far-flung place.
Summers can range from mild to hot and humid. Some winters feature no snow and others blizzards that dump two feet. The Manhattan unit is one of the few with no unit car, but between subways and the bus lines, a reasonably priced public transportation system covers almost every need. Walking will be required so comfortable shoes are essential.
There is almost any kind of activity in New York City, ranging from free to high-priced. There are many museums, concert halls, theaters, dance troupes and places to shop. Eating out is a popular activity in one of the city's roughly 1,000 restaurants. While New York initially seems intimidating, once you have been there long enough to recognize the owner of the corner grocery, learn the name of the homeless person you pass every day on your way to work, pet the same dog twice and recognize the traffic rhythms on your street, you begin to realize that New York is also made up of many small neighborhoods.
The MVS unit is on a quiet, tree-lined street at the edge of Gramercy Park, just north of the East Village. The most notable feature of the neighborhood is that it contains a half-dozen hospitals. The unit was established in this neighborhood in 1958 to provide an opportunity for Mennonites to do service as an alternative to joining the military, and many worked in the nearby hospitals.
Unit
Members of the Manhattan MVS unit live in Menno House, a 4-story brownstone owned by the local Mennonite churches that also serves as a home for other residents and short-term guests. The unit thus functions as part of a larger, loose-knit, community. The house is one of several brownstones on a block across the street from an elementary school and playground. It is about 5 blocks from the Quaker meetinghouse where Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship gathers for worship, and a 10-minute walk from Union Square, the entrance to several subway lines. The MVS support committee, made up of three people from Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship, meets with MVSers--roughly once a month--to provide personal, spiritual and administrative assistance.