PODS accommodate volunteers at some of the villages. Others offer bunks in wheeled trailers or churches. Photo thanks to the United Presbyterian Church of Washington, Iowa.
Volunteer Villages provide a predictable, safe, and sanitary environment for volunteer groups where they can live in community while serving others. The vision of the village is to create community among all the volunteers present in the village each week. Community is created one week at a time, facilitated by a volunteer village manager who is also a volunteer. Each village houses up to 90 people, so each week there can be as many as six or seven different teams present from churches around the country.
Houma, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Diamondhead, Mississippi
Port Neches, Texas
Texas City, Texas
A village offers volunteer housing in plastic pods, church rooms, or converted trailers. All villages offer air conditioning and heat, showers, toilets, and cooking facilities. Village residents sleep on cots or bunk beds. A truck and tool trailer equipped with construction tools is available at each village site.
Breakfast 7:00 a.m.
Devotions 8:00 a.m.
Leave for work sites 8:30 a.m.
Return to village 5:00 p.m.
Supper 6:00 p.m.
Evening devotions: 7:30 p.m.
Lights out 10:00 p.m.
Teams in the village take turns leading devotions and cooking for the camp. It is expected that volunteers who are in the village over the weekend will participate in worship at a local church, providing support and encouragement to the broader community.
When you call to make a village reservation, the PDA Call Center (866-732-6121) will send you a packet of information that will answer your questions fully and include informational lists of what you should pack. Besides bringing appropriate clothes and gear, we encourage teams to bring appropriate building supplies if possible (check with the village you are assigned to in order to determine what would be appropriate) and/or extra funds to purchase supplies.
We have not set specific requirements on funds for materials, as do other groups — this is voluntary.
There is a charge of $20 per day per person, which covers lodging and food. These funds only subsidize the cost of running a village.
No. There are a variety of faith groups and volunteer organizations that have been hosted in the villages.
Yes. The villages are organized around the concept of building community, and this is done through organized groups taking responsibility for particular sets of village chores.
If you are interested in coming, but you cannot put a group together at your particular church, consider calling other churches in your area to create an area team, or perhaps organize a presbytery-wide team. Many presbyteries are sending teams on a regular basis. If you need information about your presbytery, please be in conversation with your pastor.
For Presbyterian Volunteer Villages, the minimum age requirement is 16.
Glad you asked! Opportunities are available for youth groups and those with team members under the age of 16. Please call the PDA Call Center at (866) 732-6121 to discuss these opportunities. The National Volunteer Office also offers a variety of group mission trips.
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