When does SWERV start and end?
  • There are two beginning dates, so you can choose which one works for you in these times of uncertainty and change: October 15, 2020 or January 4, 2021. Regardless of start date, the 2020-2021 SWERV term will end July 31, 2021.
Where do volunteers with SWERV live?
  • Through a partnership between Presbytery de Cristo and the Tucson Borderlands Young Adult Volunteer (TBYAV) program, volunteers with SWERV will live in a three bedroom, two bathroom house that TBYAV rents. The house is located less than three miles north of downtown Tucson and is fully furnished.
What kind of volunteer work will I get to do?
  • Each SWERV volunteer will be connected with a service agency or church in Tucson for their volunteer hours. Opportunities will vary as volunteers are placed and as needs shift in Tucson but volunteers may do things like home repair, volunteering at the food bank, or spending time at a shelter for asylum seekers.
How much does SWERV cost?
  • Each volunteer who participates in SWERV is asked to raise a minimum of $3000 to help cover the costs of the term of service (housing, stipend, staff, etc). This request is meant both to encourage you as a volunteer to communicate with and activate the community around you to be part of your mission service, and to give you an experience in fundraising that comes with both support and accountability. There is help available for you if fundraising seems scary or hard (or both)! And, our ultimate goal is that the program not present a financial cost to you. If you cannot meet your fundraising minimum, but can show that you have tried your best, we will work together to find a solution through alternate means.
I'm participating in the PC(USA) YAV virtual year. Can I do SWERV too?
  • Absolutely! You will certainly be able to participate fully in the 2020-2021 virtual YAV year -- and some of your housemates might be doing the same! (To find out more about the virtual YAV year,  click here.)
Do I need to speak Spanish?
  • Nope - though we are excited to welcome folks who speak lots of different languages. As a side note, if learning Spanish is something you're interested in, we can help connect you with community opportunities for learning in Tucson!
Do I have to have a passport?
  • What a good question! The answer depends on what happens with covid, and whether or not travel to Mexico is feasible while  maintaining social distance and safety guidelines. The best case scenario will have SWERV volunteers traveling to visit Agua Prieta in Sonora, Mexico, during the term of service, so please do get a passport or passport card if you can! Just know that safety comes first, so all plans are subject to change!
Is SWERV the same thing as Tucson Borderlands YAV?
  • SWERV is a separate program, outside of the Young Adult Volunteer program umbrella, organized and overseen by TBYAV and the Presbytery de Cristo working together. The Presbytery has an active role in hosting and shepherding SWERV in a more hands-on way than with TBYAV; TBYAV staff are leading the SWERV programming with Presbytery support. Through this partnership, SWERV can benefit from the experience and relationships TBYAV has built over almost 20 years of operation in the borderlands, while establishing something entirely new.