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Anita Saira Morawski, Redeemer Ministry Corps, Philadelphia, PA
Misha Simmonds, Jesuit Volunteers International, Kathmandu, Nepal I went to Princeton, which probably has the best financial aid program in the country, so I had very little debt (which I could actually cover but chose to keep). I also have been able to participate in loan forgiveness programs as an inner-city teacher since I have returned, though loan forgiveness was not available as a JV because of its religious affiliation. Massimo Scano, L'Arche, Rome, Italy
Christina Lim, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Bethel, AK Financially speaking, if you have loans, defer them. Most loan companies make allowances for that. As for 'resume building', volunteering can only be an asset! Spiritually speaking, the question is how can one "afford" not to volunteer? A lot of us have grown up in a culture of material abundance. Volunteering can help foster a mind expanding experience of what is really a need versus a want. Ryan Downs, Jesuit Volunteer Corps-Southwest, Sacramento, CA
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Most people are in debt when they get out of college and
thereafter. So how could you "afford" to volunteer?
I was fortunate not to have any college loans or
credit card debt to pay off. As far as making it on the stipend we got, I
tell people that I was financially more comfortable as a volunteer than a
college student, during which time I was living REALLY simply! As a
volunteer, I had a steady cash flow, which (though meager by some standards) was
always sufficient for my needs. I didn't have that in college.
I
didn’t have debt problems, because I chose to volunteer after some
years of work. But I know that you can delay the payment of your debts up to 3
years, if you work as a volunteer.
I was not in debt. However, many of my
housemates were. But, they were able to defer loans for a year. And
we all made a small stipend that allowed us to afford what we needed. It's
not as bad as many would think. Our finances always came through.
Also, there were many "perks" for us being volunteers. A few
very nice people in our town knew who we were and would buy us food, take us on
trips, take us to dinner, let us borrow their car, etc. So we didn't spend
that much money. It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be.
