Jubilee’s volunteer program provides an opportunity for people of different ages and backgrounds to join in the life of our community—working for justice, building cross-cultural friendships, and exploring what it means to seek God’s kingdom in community with others. We have three volunteer terms each year beginning in January, May and August. Resident volunteers are provided with food and housing along with a small weekly living allowance.

Most resident volunteers spend part of their time teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to small classes of 1 – 4 adult students. No previous ESOL experience is necessary; we provide training and ongoing support for volunteer teachers. Volunteers also spend some of their time outdoors, working in the Jubilee garden and helping to maintain the property. Volunteers may be involved in other tasks, depending on the skills and interests of the individual—tasks like caring for children, working on building maintenance, or processing garden produce. Volunteers, along with everyone else in the community, also lend a hand with cleaning tasks and meal preparation.

During the term, volunteers meet together as a group to discuss readings related to issues of justice and Christian discipleship. Each volunteer meets with one long-term member of the community with whom they may discuss questions of community life, personal growth, or matters of faith. Each term we have several outings, which usually include an overnight visit to a Trappist monastery and a day trip to visit with immigrants held in federal detention.

Jubilee is an ecumenical Christian community with members from many different denominational backgrounds. Volunteers aren’t expected to claim any particular religious identity or affirm any creed, though we do ask that volunteers seek to engage with the Christ-centered spiritual life of the community during their time here. The minimum age for resident volunteers is 19 years old. Many volunteers are recent college graduates or current students, but volunteer groups often include a mix of younger and older single people, as well as married couples and families with children.