Press Release provided by the Brethren Volunteer Service, Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Illinois
Cara Hudson of McPherson, Kansas has recently undertaken a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) assignment with Gould Farm in Monterey, Massachusetts.
Founded in 1913, Gould Farm is America’s original community for psychiatric rehabilitation in an open setting, located on 700 acres of farm and woodlands. Cara will be helping guests, those selected for treatment and care, receive services that are rooted in the simple belief that every person has something vital to contribute, despite mental or emotional vulnerabilities. Gould Farm uses a community-oriented, work-based approach towards therapy. The work programs are designed to provide structural support, community engagement, and responsibility for the guests.
Cara is a member of the McPherson Church of the Brethren in McPherson, Kansas. Cara is a 2019 graduate of McPherson College with a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in Communication and Religion/Philosophy. In college, she was involved in organizations such as Wasco Parks and Recreation, Etch Marketing and Design, Inscribe Creative Journal, City of Shafter, The Shafter Press and more. She received Presidential Scholarship, Wasco Community Scholarship, Highest Merit Scholarship. Cara is excited to work with the guests of Gould Farm and make a difference. Cara can be reached through the BVS office at 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin IL 60120.
Cara’s assignment to Gould Farm followed an orientation based at the Camp Inspiration Hills in Ohio where a group of thirteen volunteers came together from all over the United States. For three weeks, they lived together as a community and studied topics of nonviolence, peacemaking, globalization, and simple living. They also gained first-hand volunteer experience working with local organizations in Burbank, Ohio and Hartville, Ohio. Orientation builds community spirit among participants through personal sharing, fellowship and increased knowledge of the world.
Cara is taking part in a long-standing tradition of ministry through service. BVS, established in 1948, works at advocating justice, peacemaking, serving basic human needs, and maintaining the integrity of creation. Approximately 60 current BVSers in the U.S. and abroad work with various peace and social/economic justice organizations. They focus on many current social needs including care for children, youth and senior citizens; ecological issues; homelessness; refugee assistance; domestic and international peacemaking; and general community services. In exchange for their work, volunteers receive room, board and a small monthly stipend from their project. Brethren Volunteer Service, a program of the Church of the Brethren, is open to any person 18 years or older interested in service through a Christian program.
