Past and present, the Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit is a vital part of Peace Mennonite Church's presence in Dallas. The MVS unit began in 1982 to respond to the needs of Central American refugees in the Dallas area through Mennonite International Refugee Assistance, sponsored by the congregation and staffed by MVS workers. MIRA operated from 1982 to 1990, and MVSers and churchgoers have continued to be part of the work with refugees through a sister organization, Proyecto Adelante. In the early 1980's the Dallas Peace Center with it's publication, the Dallas Peace Times, began as projects of PMC and have been staffed by MVSers at various times.
The MVS committee of Peace Mennonite Church is responsible for the well-being of the unit. The committee has responsibility to develop and maintain relationships with appropriate agencies and organizations who "employ" MVS workers. The committee members arrange job descriptions and stipends with the agencies, and act as liaisons to assure supervision and training. Our role is to provide emotional, spiritual and logistical support for the household. We try to keep up with happenings at the agencies to be sure the workers and the agencies are satisfied.
We see MVS as a project of the church and seek ways for the local congregation to be involved in the work of the agency beyond placing and supporting the worker. For example, PMC prepares and eats dinner once a month with residents of AIDS Services of Dallas, where MVS workers have been on staff since 1991.
The Dallas MVS community is one of about 25 such units in the US and Canada. While being locally supported and overseen by local congregations, these units come under the umbrella of the central Mennonite Voluntary Service Office in Newton, Kansas. All applications for MVS are processed by staff in the central office, which organizes orientation for the volunteers before or soon after their terms begin. MVSO also organizes annual retreats for the MVS members and provides regular visits to deal with issues that arise in the units.
