Sixty-eight young people will gather at Stony Point Conference Center later this month for orientation as Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Once their weeklong preparation is completed ― Aug. 22-29 ― they will deploy to YAV sites in eight U.S. cities and in five countries on four continents around the world. There they will spend one year in supervised volunteer ministry on behalf of the church.
Domestic volunteers will serve in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Hollywood, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans and San Antonio. International YAVs will serve in Guatemala, India, Kenya, Korea, Northern Ireland and Peru.
The YAVs, who range in age from 19 to 30, come from 38 presbyteries and five other denominations ― United Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites, Missionary Baptists and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
One YAV, Ashley McFaul, is a member of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and will be serving in Nashville
The 38 domestic Young Adult Volunteers (alphabetically with their presbytery or denomination and assigned city) are:
- Sarah Akin, Arkansas ― Nashville
- Ashley Bair, Lake Michigan ― New Orleans
- Megan Bell, Huntingdon ― Nashville
- Lydia Benish, United Methodist ― Miami
- Sarah Bennett, Grace ― Chicago
- Susan Braden, Baptist ― Nashville
- Lee Catoe, New Harmony ― Nashville
- Kyle Clifton, Middle Tennessee ― Nashville
- Bethany Crismore, Whitewater Valley ― San Antonio
- Ashley Felter, National Capital ― Miami
- Kirt Gibbs, Western New York ― Miami
- Deborah Gundry, Baltimore ― San Antonio
- Jay Hankins, Salem ― Nashville
- Eva Hendrix-Sholvin, Baltimore ― Hollywood
- Caroline Howland, San Francisco ― Miami
- Gavin Knight, United Methodist ― Miami
- John Lanigan, New Castle ― Atlanta
- Leslie Leonard, Grace ― Atlanta
- Eric Lipka, Charlotte ― New Orleans
- Jillian Manning, Redstone ― New Orleans
- Nathan Mast, Mennonite ― Hollywood
- Ashley McFaul, Presbyterian Church in Ireland ― Nashville
- Amanda Moore, Detroit ― Miami
- Maegen Norman, Covenant Church ― Denver
- Kelsey Penn, Mission ― San Antonio
- Emily Peterson, Shenandoah ― Atlanta
- Charles Pittman, Baptist ― Denver
- Nathaniel Potts, Baltimore ― Chicago
- Allison Purves, New Covenant ― Nashville
- Jennifer Ring, Salem ― Hollywood
- Isaiah Rivera, Mennonite ― Hollywood
- Juli Smith, National Capital ― San Antonio
- Kathryn Sweeney, West Virginia ― San Antonio
- Rebekah Wadsworth, United Methodist ― Miami
- Allison Wehrung, Charlotte ― New Orleans
- Britney Wit, United Methodist ― Hollywood
- Emma Wood, New Hope ― New Orleans
- Lauren Wright, Evangelical Presbyterian Church ― New Orleans
The 30 international Young Adult Volunteers (alphabetically with their presbytery or denomination and assigned country) are:
- Kaley Anderson, St. Andrew ― Peru (two years)
- Julianne Blaha, Wyoming ― Guatemala
- Claudia Brown, Evangelical Presbyterian Church ― India
- Ellison Cavedo, Foothills ― Northern Ireland
- Nicole Childress, Presbytery of the James ― India
- Kristi Click, Grace ― Guatemala
- Anna Curl, North Alabama ― Korea
- Sean Delaney, Scioto Valley ― Peru
- Patrick Harley, Holston ― Northern Ireland
- Karl Heimbuck, Wyoming ― Northern Ireland
- Kendra Heimbuck, Wyoming ― Northern Ireland
- Erin Jezek, Grace ― Northern Ireland
- Jamie Karnetsky, Central Florida ― Kenya
- Carolyn Langley, Middle Tennessee ― Guatemala
- Thomas Loyd, Santa Fe ― Korea
- Mary Morrow, Huntingdon ― Peru
- Hannah Schonau-Taylor, Cascades ― Peru
- Anna Shusitzky, Chicago ― Korea
- Christina Tammen, Mid-Kentucky ― Northern Ireland
- Tricia Thompson, Western North Carolina ― Kenya
- Zoe Van Dyke, Twin Cities Area ― Northern Ireland
- Ian Vellenga, New Hope ― India
- Amelia Vogler, Presbytery of the James ― Kenya
- Amy Wadsworth, United Methodist ―Kenya
- Elizabeth Wall, New Brunswick ― Northern Ireland
- Sarah Webb, Mission ― Peru
- Shane Webb, New Covenant ― Peru
- Rachel Wells, Grace ― India
- David Wigger, Mid-Kentucky ― Kenya
- Jacquelyn Wonsey, Missionary Baptist ― Guatemala
More information about the YAV program, and letters and blogs from volunteers who are serving is available on the Young Adult Volunteer website.