Holiday Blessings

One year ago I was starting off my Christmas Break in Portland, Oregon. I had just made it home in time to miss a huge arctic blast that prevented many home-bound college students to making it home earlier than anticipated for the holidays. My dad and I were bored at home and unable to drive anywhere, so we took a walk in the snow up to a neighborhood bar about a mile away from our house. We were catching up over some beers and my dad was talking about how excited he was to see where my life was going to take me in the next year. At the time I was concentrated on starting my career right out of college. I couldn't wait the adventure to begin.

Both of my parents are former Jesuit Volunteers and were placed in the same community in a small village in Alaska. I had always been aware of the program but I wasn't sure if it were my calling or not. My college friend Jack was in the process of applying for the JVC. I was excited to hear about him applying; excited enough that I ended up starting the application myself. It felt like the right decision. When I got my placement and committed, it felt even better.

Now here I am, working as a high school program instructor at For Love of Children, helping inner city students reach their full potential in their education. I am amazed at the generosity of the staff who work here and the generous donors that allow us to keep our mission going.

I'm very grateful for the company of my fellow Jesuit Volunteers and the strong community that I live in. We've experienced many memorable moments, from orientation at Blue Ridge; to a wacky 10 hour Halloween party in Newark; Cheese Steaks and the Christmas Party in Philadelphia; meeting vice president Joe Biden, rodent sightings in our house; late night talks, delicious meals, birthday celebrations and lots of laughs.

I look forward to many more great memories in the new year. I return home for the holidays this Friday. Merry Christmas.

The vice president, news anchor contribute to the JVC

The Jesuit Volunteer Corps held a fundraiser Wednesday evening at St. Francis Hall in Washington, DC.

The JV's were invited to represent their placements. The invitation included the special guest, Chris Matthews of MSNBC's Hardball, who was invited to deliver a talk on service. Chris served in the PeaceCorps before entering his career in politics and news. Chris' wife, Kathleen, is a former news anchor and now executive at Marriott was also attending.

The evening was getting started as expected. As we were getting instructions on how to volunteer at the event, JVC's development manager announces to us that Vice President Joe Biden would be making an appearance. Biden entered the room with grace, shaking everyone's hand, smiling and speaking with everyone that approached him. He was gracious to the JV's and our support people. He spoke on stage with his son, Hunter, who served in JVC Northwest in my hometown, Portland, Ore.

It was quite a thrill that evening. The JV's and I will be recalling that evening for a long time.