St. John Bosco House is currently seeking new Workers to join our community here in Eugene starting immediately. Please keep our house in your prayers as we search for a new full-time volunteer!
St. John Bosco House is entirely dependent upon the work of two full-time volunteers who live in the house. Those called to this sort of committed service hold responsibility for the daily well being of our residents and are the glue that holds together our community.
We continuously seek live-in volunteers to be the cornerstone on which our program is based. We currently have room and resources available for two full-time, live-in volunteers and hope for one year commitments--although other arrangements have been made. This is the perfect community for someone who has ideas and wants to take charge. If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail the house, or download an application. If you are curious about our community, feel free to call the house or e-mail our current Workers .
Bosco House is currently operating without full-time Workers! While this is a departure from our mission, we hope to return to having people living in community again soon.
Jessie Smith joined us from Vermont, where she previously worked with the homeless while working toward a degree at Goddard College. She continued to work on that degree while at Bosco House, and graduated in January of 2006, left for one year and then returned to us! She still serves on our LCCW Board of Directors.
Rachel Winter arrived in April 2006 from Minneapolis and stayed with us for a year. She is now living in Minneapolis.
Caitie Robertson hailed from California and is the first Worker to spend more than a full year at the house. She contributed this poem:
Caitie stayed in Eugene after her stint, and is now president of our Board of Directors.
Christina Ergas is currently living in Houston and preparing for graduate school.
There were times when I felt overwhelmed with love for all of my housemates, when the conversations were so profound, when the children were so sweet and beautiful. In turn, there were times where children's laughter and or screams made me shudder. Living with six women is challenging. I dont mean to sound like I'm generalizing, but women can be catty and overly dramatic at times. On the other hand, I was amazed to see how unrelenting the human spirit can be. Women who were never given a chance were improving by leaps and bounds, doing 180s just to give their children opportunities that they didn't have.
Laura Thompson filled in between long-term Workers in 2003. She now works with refugees and asylum seekers in Seattle. This text is taken from a note she sent to a friend during her stay.
The house is in a state of chaos and is always at heightened emotions. Nothing like any other service I have done. Not even close.
Going from caring about myself, to trying to get girls to stop using so that their kids won't be taken away from them FOREVER. So many emotions -- I stay up at night trying to journal/brainstorm my ideas to sleep. I think about how the house should be run in the future, how to solve existing problems, how to make this work.
This house is so worthwhile and is really needed in this area. I'm excited to be in the house with fresh feelings and new energy. I always hear my heartbeat now. I'm enlivened and made weary by the challenges all at the same time. Oh, it's going to be hard leaving here.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming one of our full-time Workers, please see the application page.