STAYING IN TOUCH

Though Jesuit Volunteers live away from friends and family during their time in JVC, we strongly encourage all of them to share their experiences, as it extends the mission and values of JVC far beyond one JV. Many JVs write letters, blog about their experiences, send emails, and even video chat with their loved ones.

Contacting Your JV

JVC’s primary relationship is with each Jesuit Volunteer directly. In order to respect a JV’s privacy, it is not policy to give out personal information without prior permission from the JV. Before departure, friends and family should have:

• Home phone number and home address
• Names of other community members
• Name of the workplace
• Contact information for the regional JVC program office managing your JV’s city
• Name of your JV’s program coordinator at JVC

JVs, Community, and Visitors

• When it is possible for family or friends to visit JVs in community or at work placement sites, JVs have found sharing their life-altering experience to be quite valuable
• JVC asks friends and family to refrain from any visits to the JVs during the critical time when JVs are bonding and becoming established within their communities, schedules, surroundings, and rhythms.
  • Domestically this is the first few months.
  • Internationally, it may take a longer time during a cross-cultural experience to feel at home in a new country. JVs are more prepared to share their experience with others after living in country for a full year before hosting visitors. 
• If you have an opportunity to visit your JV, be sure to spend some time with the JV community, visit his or her placement site and meet coworkers, and experience your JV’s favorite sites and spots in the placement city. This will give you a much richer sense of the context in which the JV has been living, working, and growing throughout the program.

Ways to Support Your JV

• Jesuit Volunteers may be seeing and processing a wide range of new experiences. You can be a source of encouragement to them by being a listening ear, showing interest in their work and community life, and helping them understand and find meaning in their new relationships, interactions, and emotions.
• Ask your JV about a typical day, what interactions are memorable or meaningful, what brings joy and satisfaction, what is challenging or frustrating, and what lessons have been learned. It’s normal for JVs to experience highs and lows over the course of time. Supportive friends and family can encourage them to speak with community members, local support people, and JVC staff when concerns arise.