Menaul School – A local racial-ethnic school for middle and high school students started by the Presbyterian Church with a student body that reflects the diversity of New Mexico and includes an international boarding population. Volunteers will have the opportunity to teach, working in the classroom alongside mentor teachers. YAVs will also engage with the school in other areas based on their skills and interests; opportunities include helping with chapel and the chaplaincy program, mission week, working with boarding students, ESL programs, and leading extracurricular activities.
Albuquerque Heading Home Initiative is a multi-agency partnership that aims to make experiences of homelessness rare, short-lived, and non-recurring. A YAV placed with Heading Home will work to help the most vulnerable local population stabilize their living situations, with the ultimate goal of obtaining and keeping permanent housing. These are people experiencing homelessness and who are below the poverty level (often with no income at all), 83% of who have mental health challenges. The Heading Home YAV will confront the challenges of social systems, issues of social inequity and poverty and homelessness while being part of a solution that gives people shelter, dignity and housing.
Camino de Vida is a new church development, born from a partnership between the PC(USA) and ELCA that provides worship services, bible studies and a variety of community programs for Spanish-speaking migrant populations. Camino addresses root causes of poverty by trying to close the gap for its community members, building programs that focus on issues such as education, malnutrition, economic disparity, music lessons, and others. Volunteers will be helping to build and carry out these programs, working directly with the congregation and community in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Spanish fluency is strongly preferred.
St. Martin’s Hope Works is New Mexico's largest comprehensive service provider to Albuquerque's homeless and near homeless populations. We are looking to host a YAV who has a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of our city's most vulnerable men, women, and children. This opportunity will provide the YAV with an insider's view of homelessness, and the common misunderstandings and/or misconceptions of the homeless and near homeless population. This YAV position will provide you with the following work opportunities:
Outreach Support: Accompany St. Martin's Intensive Outreach team on their schedule routes within the City of Albuquerque and assist team members in locating homeless person experiencing severe mental health issues. YAVs will assist in providing individuals contacted with basic supplies such as water and portable snacks, assist in connecting individuals to assessment by St. Martin's Behavioral Health staff, and other duties as assigned by Outreach team members.
Day Shelter Support: Assist St. Martin's Day Shelter staff in their delivery of service to our clients. YAVs will assist in providing individuals with all essential and emergency services including: front desk support, meal support, clothing distribution, short and long-term storage, and other client services.
Outreach Support: Accompany St. Martin's Intensive Outreach team on their schedule routes within the City of Albuquerque and assist team members in locating homeless person experiencing severe mental health issues. YAVs will assist in providing individuals contacted with basic supplies such as water and portable snacks, assist in connecting individuals to assessment by St. Martin's Behavioral Health staff, and other duties as assigned by Outreach team members.
Day Shelter Support: Assist St. Martin's Day Shelter staff in their delivery of service to our clients. YAVs will assist in providing individuals with all essential and emergency services including: front desk support, meal support, clothing distribution, short and long-term storage, and other client services.
Second Presbyterian Church is a bilingual, multicultural community that grows together in faith and engages the world through mission and advocacy. This placement is a fit for someone with a heart for the church and believes in strengthening community both inside and outside the church. Second Presbyterian has many outreach ministries both locally and internally, and has just begun hosting individuals granted asylum by the United States in need of temporary housing. Spanish proficiency is a plus but not a requirement. The position can also be designed for specialized ministry experience if the YAV is considering or has completed seminary studies.