Our History
Tucson MVS has served the community of Tucson for nearly 50 years!
Mennonite Voluntary Service began in 1944 as a practical peaceful alternative to serving in the military. Over the years, MVS participants have played integral roles in transforming social systems relating to health, education, immigration, food, housing and more. MVS invites participants to continue to shape this shared story of actively working toward a more peaceful and just world.
The Tucson MVS program was founded by snowbird Mennonites in 1973. The unit house is on the campus of Shalom Mennonite Fellowship. The unit follows the MVS commitment to a lifestyle of faith, simplicity, and justice - and has served as a strong part of Shalom Mennonite’s spread of shalom in the Tucson community.
In 1982 Tucson MVS helped to found Mennonite Home Repair which has gone on to become Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona (CHRPA). CHRPA and Tucson MVS continue to have a strong relationship with one or two volunteers placed there each year! The CHRPA office is also housed next door to the Tucson MVS house (on the same campus as Shalom Mennonite).
Tucson MVS volunteers have also contributed hundreds of thousands of hours to organizations like The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, The Primavera Foundation, BorderLinks, Literacy Connects, as well as healthcare work.
Many Tucson MVS volunteers have even chosen to make Tucson home, and still live in the area.
