Quaker Voluntary Service expanded to Minneapolis/St. Paul as its fifth location in the fall of 2018. The Twin Cities program paused following the pandemic and is restarting in 2024.
Sponsoring Quaker Meetings/Churches:
The Minneapolis QVS program in under the spiritual care of three Quaker Meetings in the area: Minneapolis Friends Meeting, Prospect Hill Friends Meeting, and Twin Cities Friends Meeting.
Want to get involved with the local QVS program? Reach out to Kate, our Minneapolis Coordinator at [email protected]
“Upon corporate and individual reflection, we in Prospect Hill Friends Meeting find our initial enthusiasm for Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) undiminished and grounded in what we understand Spirit asks us to do. We affirm our desire to participate with other Friends to establish and cultivate a local QVS program, as Way opens…”
Kate Cowie-Haskell (they/she)
Minneapolis Coordinator
Minneapolis Fellows 2024-2025 (click on any picture for more information)
Abbie Herbrechtsmeyer (she/her) was born in Iowa and raised in the Twin Cities. Her childhood home is half an hour away from the Minneapolis QVS house! She returned to Iowa to pursue a degree in Political Science, and is now a fresh graduate of Grinnell College. She dabbled in many other academic pursuits, including various courses in Sociology, Environmental Studies, and Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies. As a Grinnellian, she studied abroad in the U.K. for a semester to observe different democracies at work and how people organize and fight for justice internationally. She has a passion for learning about the world, understanding how it works, and creating connections that allow people to move forward together.
She has an interest in grassroots organizing, humanitarianism, and environmental justice initiatives. She became the campaign manager for the Sarah Smith for Iowa House campaign. She organized, protested, wrote op-eds and press releases, and registered voters to unseat the incumbent destroying environmental protections, legislating against women's rights, and limiting educational access to children in rural communities. She aims to get a law degree to continue fighting for human rights and justice initiatives. During her time with QVS, however, she wants to re-immerse herself in intentional community-building, engage in non-profit work by partnering with the Rondo Community Land Trust, and question what it means to be spiritual by getting more familiar with Quaker traditions and values.
When she isn't being productive, Abbie enjoys baking, playing (board!) games, and watching movies and video essays. She also enjoys being a fandom nerd and taking naps.
Atuhaire Moses is an influential figure with diverse roles and accomplishments. Let’s break down some key points about him:
1. Founder and Director of Western Uganda FBO Network: Moses Atuhaire holds a significant position as the Founder and Director of the Western Uganda Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) Network. This role likely involves coordinating and collaborating with various faith-based organizations in the region to address community needs.
2. Vice Presiding Clerk, Kampala Region, Uganda: As the Vice Presiding Clerk in the Kampala Region, Reverend Atuhaire likely plays a leadership role within the religious community. This position involves administrative responsibilities and spiritual guidance. Atuhaire Moses as a clergy in Friends Church Quakers is motivated to evangelical friend’s church multiplication and is a member of Quaker Men in Kyenjojo friends meeting.
3. Elected Honorable District Councillor, Kyarusozi Sub County in Kyenjojo , Uganda: Atuhaire’s involvement in local governance as an elected district councilor demonstrates his commitment to community development and representation. He likely advocates for the needs and concerns of his constituents.
4. Activist for Environment Conservation, Health Financing, Social Justice, and Climate Justice: Atuhaire’s activism spans critical areas such as environmental conservation, health financing, social justice, and climate justice. His efforts likely include raising awareness, advocating for policy changes, and promoting sustainable practices.
5. Founder of UTOPIA: Remarkably, Atuhaire founded an organization called UTOPIA when he was just 14 years old. UTOPIA’s mission is to care for children in need, emphasizing compassion and support for vulnerable youth.
6. Influencer, Project Writer, and Fundraising Expert: Atuhaire’s multifaceted skills extend beyond his religious and community roles. He is an influencer, likely using his platform to inspire positive change. Additionally, his expertise in project writing and fundraising contributes to various initiatives.
Atuhaire Moses is working with QVS at Friends for a NonViolent World in Minneapolis/St. Paul Site Placement.
Nora (she/her) is from Massachusetts and attended Middlesex Community College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At college, Nora was involved with tutoring centers, literary journals, environmental groups, inclusive learning/disability services, and library outreach. Additionally, Nora was raised Catholic, but recently started attending Unitarian Universalist services. She finds her greatest fulfillment from building meaningful connections with others, exploring the creative process, and appreciating the outdoors. Nora is excited to live in the Twin Cities House and work with Cooperative Energy Futures for her QVS Fellowship!
2024-2025 Minneapolis/St. Paul Site Placements (click on any logo for more information)
Cooperative Energy Futures' (CEF) is a member-owned cooperative business focused on advancing energy democracy through community-controlled renewable energy and energy efficiency. Our mission is to empower communities across Minnesota to build energy democracy through solutions that are clean, local, and ours.
CEF was established in 2009 as a member-owned cooperative that makes clean energy accessible to all. CEF develops and operates community solar gardens, currently with 8 projects across Minnesota offsetting the electricity needs of 700 member households at an immediate net savings to our members. CEF has a particular focus on economic and racial justice, working to ensure that all projects are developed using an economic model that is deeply accessible to members regardless of income or credit and including options available at no upfront cost and net monthly savings, as well as prioritizing workforce equity in the solar industry.
CEF uses member participation in these projects to build community wealth and activate members from many different communities around a vision for our energy future that is rooted in community-controlled clean energy. Our program and project management service areas include community solar gardens, rooftop solar for low-income households (renters and
homeowners) and home energy upgrades (energy efficiency and electrification). CEF also provides community-based education, outreach, and recruitment services around these energy services along with general context on understanding utility bills and the energy utility system, navigating programs for energy efficiency and energy affordability, and participating in the regulatory process. Finally, CER provides technical assistance for other community-based organizations seeking to advance equitable and community-controlled clean energy solutions.
Women Supporting Women
Mary’s Pence was founded by women to support women on the margins at a time when women-led social justice projects were overlooked and under-funded. Women includes cis women, trans women and non-binary people. More than 37 years later, a women-led board and staff – along with the women, men, churches, and religious congregations who support Mary’s Pence – continue the still necessary work of our founders by providing funding and holistic support to women working for justice in Central America, Mexico, the United States.
Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) Refugee Services welcomes refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and other new Americans into new lives of freedom, hope and opportunity in Minnesota. Based in Minneapolis and Mankato, MCC Refugee Services has resettled those with refugee status in Minnesota since 1984. Through services providing
resettlement, case management, employment, education and immigration legal services, MCC’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual and inclusive staff works to ensure our newest neighbors are “abundantly supported as they move from addressing basic needs to achieving their dreams.”
MCC Refugee Services currently has 50 employees and several AmeriCorps volunteers working in our programs, serving over 1,500 individuals with refugee, asylee, humanitarian parole and other statuses annually. Those we serve come to Minnesota from over 20 countries, including Somalia, Congo, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Burma and countries of Central America.
Rondo Community Land Trust (CLT) is a community based affordable housing and commercial land trust operating in St. Paul and Suburban Ramsey County. Rondo CLT builds community wealth and neighborhood stability through the development and stewardship of permanently affordable homeownership opportunities, rental housing, commercial space, and other community assets.
Fellow Position Description:
This individual will be one of three team members working on Rondo CLT's commercial community land trust work. Specifically, we are launching a small business incubator in summer 2024 which will provide space to 4-5 entrepreneurs and be the site of a second location of a coffee shop the organization operates and is working to transition to a cooperative ownership model. As an incubator, entrepreneurs will have access to a suite of resources and services that grow their business operations and Rondo CLT will also be an amplifier of marketing, social media and engagement for the space.
Therefore, the Small Business Support Program Associate's work will include the following overall job functions:
- Branding, Marketing, Communication and Social Media.
Help elevate the profile of this new space on the Selby Avenue corridor, ensuring social media is captured on a weekly basis (ie. pictures of vendors, client spotlights etc), news about the incubator is highlighted in Rondo CLT's monthly newsletter etc.
- Research and Connect Resources to Small Businesses:
Tapping into the suite of technical assistance providers, the fellow can support researching small business micro grants and similar resources to amplify their success.
- Event Support and Coordination
Rondo CLT will curate events in the space to draw traffic to the retail vendors. The Fellow will provide support for planning and day of logistics. Events may include Small Business Saturday events, #ShopBlack campaigns, art exhibit openings with artist talks (part of the aesthetic of the space).
- Survey and Evaluation: Working with supervisors to establish an entrepreneur intake processing form with a focus on commercial space needs assessment and business needs assessment. Fellow will conduct intake one on ones.Additionally, we are tracking several impact metrics that will be reported to funders and community stakeholders. The fellow will help gather, analyze and visualize that data.
- Overall stakeholders engagement to connect with other businesses along the Selby Avenue commercial corridor, recruit volunteers etc. The individual will be a self-starter, have the ability to work on a team and independently, be a natural relationship builder, demonstrate attention to detail and ease/desire to relate across lines of difference including race, gender, sexuality, religion etc.
Most Recent Blog Posts from Minneapolis/St. Paul
2020 Alumni Impact Report
In Spring 2020, QVS conducted a major outreach survey to gather stories and impact from QVS Alumni. The following report offers testimonials, statistics, and learnings across the three pillars of the QVS experience: Community, Spirituality, and Service.
Announcing the 2020-2021 Fellow Cohort
We’re excited to introduce you to the 2020-2021 QVS Fellow cohort! Check out the links to learn more about these amazing young adults.
Spirit in Action
Last year, three current Fellows and a QVS Alum sat down and shared their stories with Spirit In Action, a weekly radio program. They shared reflections about discerning vocation, why they chose to do QVS, and the impact of living in intentional community with strangers.
Quaker Voluntary Service is an experiment at the intersection of transformational spirituality and activism, a Fellowship program for young adults.