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featured fjv: cole merkel (portland, or ’10-12)

Check out this month’s featured FJV, Cole Merkel (Portland, OR ’10-12). Cole now works for the organization he was placed at during his second year as a JV.  Read on to hear Cole’s own words on the continued impact his work has on him and others.
Featured FJV July '13 - Cole Merkel

When my supervisor Israel approached me during my second JV year to ask if I would stay on at Street Roots as Vendor Coordinator, I couldn’t believe my luck. I was already working my dream job and I couldn’t imagine leaving and ending the relationships I had spent the year building with more than one hundred men and women experiencing poverty.

Fast forward twelve months and those connections have only deepened. The work I do every day blurs the boundaries of work supervisor, case worker, social media manager and program administrator.  My volunteers like to joke that I’m the vendor dad as many of our newspaper vendors will only come to me when they seek guidance or solutions to issues they might be having. I do my best to take it all in with non-judgmental honesty and a whole lot of caffeine.

I hope to be with Street Roots for a long time, but no matter what trajectory my career takes, I am determined to always work outside the box for social and economic justice; to recalibrate the corrupt system we’ve inherited for a more equal future. And I plan to do it with skills I acquired when I was a JV.

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Upcoming Virtual Events

"JVC Northwest 101: Service and Community"

Thursday, April 7 | 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
Learn about all that makes a year of service with JVC Northwest unique. We’ll talk about the opportunities available, what intentional community looks like, and dive into our values of social and ecological justice, simple living, and spirituality/reflection. There will also be plenty of time for Q+A. Register here. 

"How to Make Your Application Stand Out"

Wednesday, April 20 | 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
Learn how you can position yourself to be a strong candidate for service with JVC Northwest. With one week left before the April 26 priority deadline, this will also be the perfect time to get a handle on each step of the application, interview, matching, and placement process. Register here. 

Where Are the JVC Northwest Recruiters Going Next?

Check out our upcoming recruitment events below. Don’t see your school or town on the list? Reach out to us at recruiter@jvcnorthwest.org to let us know you’d like us to pay your town a visit! 

10/13/2022 
Notre Dame | Info Session: Discerning Post Graduate Service | 6:30 PM | COffee House in Geddes Hall

10/17/2022
Marquette | Info session (1-2) office hours (2-4) | Career Services Center – Seminar Room