The Jesuit Volunteers Philippines Foundation, Inc. (JVPFI) is a volunteer organization that seeks to help under-resourced communities all over the Philippines address their basic needs. The organization contributes to the nation building through faith driven volunteer service in its full time volunteer program and members’ part-time volunteer program.
For 24 years now, JVPFI has been sending volunteers to work in under-resourced schools, parishes, or non-government institutions to:
- Teach the young and the elderly
- Engage in youth formation
- Train grass-root community leaders
- Assist cooperatives
- Help implement livelihood projects
- Minister to the disabled and abused
- Advocate environmental issues
- Uphold the dignity of indigenous peoples
- Fight for the rights of the oppressed
The organization aims for both the volunteers and the communities they serve to continuously work towards building a just society.
The JVPFI has a national office in Quezon City and has local chapters in Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Manila, Naga and Zamboanga.
History
Society of Jesus member Fr. William “Bill” Kreutz”, together with Jesuit scholars Noel Vasquez, Vic Labao and Jemy See, founded the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) in 1980. They organized it into a full time volunteer program that caters to the needs of the people during the Martial Law period. The organization annually recruits, and trains college graduates and young professionals and to teach, organize communities, preserve indigenous culture and work in parishes in different mission areas all over the country for at least one year.
In the early 1990s, the JVP community of volunteers and supporters expanded immensely. In May 1993, the JVPFI was founded and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and has since operated independently of the Society of Jesus.
The organization launched its part-time volunteer program in 2006.
JVPFI is mainly supported by local and foreign donations from individuals and institutions.
JVPFI is a pioneer in the Philippine volunteer sector. Its efforts and roles had been recognized with prestigious awards including the Ateneo de Manila Public Service Award in 1995, the Chino Roces Award in 1998, and the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award from the national government in 2005.
The Volunteers
The volunteers for the organization are sent to under-resourced areas all over the Philippines and are required to stay there for at least one year. The volunteers are selected based on a screening process using the following criteria:
1. alignment to the JVP core values of service, social Justice, solidarity, simplicity
and spirituality
2. involvement in community, parish and school / office
3. knowledge, skills and training
4. key personal qualities
The educational background, work experience, involvement in community, office / school, parish activities and other extra-curricular activities as well as his/her skills and capabilities are the primary factors to be considered by the JVPFI in choosing the volunteers.
The Communities Served
JVPFI screens and ranks the institutions requesting for assistance before sending volunteers. Applicant institutions are asked to a profile of the community and the kind of work of the volunteers. A JVPFI representative then conducts a social investigation in the area and the institution: he / she check on the security/peace and order situation of the community, the urgency of the need for volunteers, the place of work, the living arrangements and the institution's clientele. A screening committee deliberates on the requests for volunteers based on the following criteria:
1. urgency of the need for volunteer
2. nature and scope of work
3. support structure for the volunteer
4. promotion of volunteerism
Sources:
Mr. Nathaniel George A. Hipolito, JVPFI program officer for volunteer service
www.jvpfi.com
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