The photo is from a Lutheran Volunteer Corps retreat in 2007. My housemates took it minutes before I woke up from a deeply satisfying
nap on Rehoboth beach. I'm glad they roused me from my slumber because
I still had a whole summer of work for peace-with-justice ahead of me.
A lifetime, actually.Sometimes, in a season of pause and reflection, it takes a golden opportunity to come along, tap me on the shoulder and whisper "pssst... wake up!"
I am thrilled to invite you to join me in supporting Lutheran Volunteer Corps through an adventure fundraiser. There is no other community in my life I believe in so wholeheartedly.
My time as a volunteer in Baltimore and as an involved alumnus has shaped my own best aspirations. Each year the program not only staffs non-profits all around the country with volunteers at minimal cost, but it sends out nearly 200 alumni who are committed to tending to our world's most broken and tender places. My own former housemates are among those leading the way - in Baltimore, fighting for access to health care with the most vulnerable; in Chicago, giving voice to immigrants within our legal system; in Minnesota, teaching children to love and play well; in Oakland, creating sacred spaces for neighbors to support and care for one another. I'm now in Missoula devoting my energies to walking alongside those in the mental health system as an advocate and helper. The questions that LVC taught me to ask are the ones that nudge me to wake up day-to-day - to listen for whose voices are and aren't being heard, to question systems that perpetuate passivity, to tease apart my own privilege, power and responsibility.
If you are familiar with LVC, you already know why this is an adventure fundraiser to support! You can donate right here, online. You can also tell others by sharing my story via facebook. If you're scratching your head, give me a call - I love talking about why LVC is awesome. If nothing else, give to support my ascent of Mount Rainier in August - I can't wait. :D
With gratitude,
Phillip
PS: Click here to learn more about the fundraiser. Click here to learn more about Lutheran Volunteer Corps, which the proceeds go to support. My own personal deposit of $500 covers half the cost of the guided expidition up Mount Rainier, meaning 87% of your donation goes towards the opperations of LVC and 13% will help cover remaining expenses of the Mount Rainer climb. If you have any questions, write to me at p.otterness@gmail.com, or Katie, Annual Fund Coordinator and Grantwriter, at kchatelaine@lutheranvolunteercorps.org (phone: 202-387-3222 ext. 225).
