Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where do volunteers live?
They volunteers live in a house together in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore (near downtown). It’s a four story row house that has individual bedrooms and bathrooms for each volunteer in the program. See pictures of the house.

2. What does the community aspect of Project SERVE involve?
Project SERVE offers the opportunity to learn about the concept of intentional community. This means that while you may not have chosen who your housemates will be, you are committed to working together to share your living space, support one another in the work you are doing and work through your differences with respect and honesty.

Project SERVE volunteers get together once a week for a community night. This time is an opportunity to have fun together, to talk about how things are going in the workplace and/or to learn more about the surrounding community through invited guest speakers. Also, Project SERVE volunteers cook dinner together at least twice a week.

3. What types of job opportunities are available?
Each volunteer works in a Catholic Charities program providing service and support to the program and the clients the program serves. The opportunities vary each year, but past programs include: Our Daily Bread Employment Center - assisting with managing volunteers for Our Daily Bread; Esperanza Center - teaching English as a Second Language; St. Vincent’s Center - working with children; and Sarah’s House - working to help families access services to help them on their road to self-sufficiency.

4. What are the typical dates for a service year?
The Project SERVE year runs from the 3rd week of August to the 3rd week of July.

5. What does the stipend include?
The stipend includes funding for transportation to and from work, funding to purchase groceries and funding for a personal stipend. The volunteers do not pay rent or utility bills. Health and vision insurance is included with optional dental coverage. For more information, contact the Project SERVE Coordinator at astone@cc-md.org or 443.986.9040

6. What about transportation?
Volunteers get to work by walking, taking the bus, or driving. Project SERVE has two cars that are primarily utilized by the volunteers who work at placements that are outside of the bus lines. Some programs are close enough to walk from the Project SERVE house and others use part of their stipend to purchase a monthly bus pass ($64).