What is The Shalom Project?
The Shalom Project is a one year voluntary service experience for recent college graduates. Participants live together in a house in Lancaster city, serve the community through full-time, professional internships, and participate in seminars focused on Christian spiritual formation and personal growth. We cover all of our participants’ living expenses, including housing, transportation, and food.
Our goal is that participants experience God’s shalom (wholeness, peace, well-being) and extend shalom in the Lancaster community during their year with us.
Our guiding values, including social justice, peace, lived faith, and community, are rooted in Anabaptist Christianity, but we welcome any participant who desires to learn, grow, and seek wholeness and well-being for themselves and others.
Why join The Shalom Project?
Join us to serve people.
Join us to gain professional experience, putting your skills to use and exploring vocation.
Join us to grow in awareness of God, self, and others, as you live alongside fellow participants and become rooted in Lancaster.
Join us to embark on a post-college life that is intentional and fulfilling.
Who can join?
The Shalom Project is open to any recent college graduate who is interested in serving others, living amidst diversity, seeking peace, and growing in faith.
Where is The Shalom Project located?
The Shalom Project is located in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Highlights include
- a small urban setting of about 60,000 people offers the resources of much larger cities with the accessibility of a 7.5 square mile footprint
- a thriving downtown core: Gallery Row, The Fulton Opera House, First Fridays and Music Fridays, and plenty of coffee shops and restaurants
- Central Market and other venues where you can find locally-grown produce
- a culture of welcome and support for refugees and immigrants
- nearby countryside, rails to trails paths, lots of green space
- Check out VisitLancasterCity.com to learn more about the community.
When does the program run?
Our program year runs from mid-August through mid-July. A typical week includes:
- Work placements: 8-hour days Monday through Thursday, 4 hours on Friday mornings
- Seminar: Friday afternoons, 1:00-5:00
- Evenings and Weekends: free time, exploring Lancaster, getting to know housemates and neighbors, rest, gathered worship, other volunteer opportunities, etc.
- Individual and group activities as determined by participants
- Monthly check-ins with Nathan and/or other mentors