About us - History of JVC Northwest

Jesuit Volunteer Corps started in 1956 with just a few committed volunteers who built and taught in the newly formed Copper Valley School for Alaska Native and non-Native children. Under the sponsorship of the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the Jesuit Volunteers expanded out of Alaska in the 1960s. They began living and working with Native American communities throughout the Pacific Northwest region, as well as serving in inner city placements in Washington and Oregon and beyond. From its roots in the Pacific Northwest, Jesuit Volunteers have spread throughout the United States and abroad.

Over the past 50 years, Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest has grown to include a wide variety of service and advocacy opportunities, including teaching, nursing, legal aid work and many positions related to the concerns and needs of people who are marginalized by society. Jesuit Volunteers in the Pacific Northwest have served in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, where local cultures reflect the beauty and challenges of the landscapes. Throughout its history, JVC Northwest has walked with Native Alaskan and Native American populations, rural Latino and Hispanic families, and urban populations.

JVC Northwest made a decision in December 2006 to remain an independent nonprofit organization when the East, Midwest, South and Southwest regions of Jesuit Volunteer Corps, along with Jesuit Volunteers International, made a decision to form one, centralized structure. Before that, all regions worked in partnership in a variety of ways, but especially in marketing and recruiting volunteers. We continue to collaborate with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, united in the shared foundational values of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. JVC Northwest is committed to providing well-supported volunteers to address the most urgent needs in the Northwest.