Volunteers shop for groceries and cook meals together. The amount may seem small, but one LVC house in Minneapolis saved enough from their food budget to make donations to local charities and to pay for and prepare a meal for forty homeless individuals. Volunteers receive an allowance for rent and utilities, but are expected to monitor their electricity and other power bills. When volunteers dry clothes outdoors or put on a sweater rather than turning up the heat, they are choosing to save energy, money, and the earth. LVC isn't all work and inner reflection.
Friendships develop as volunteers get to know each other and spend time together.
Karen and Kristiania are relaxing in Kristiania's room. Each LVC house is unique and usually most furnishings are in place. Some volunteers have private rooms while others share a room. Finding ways to share and support each other's values and beliefs is the goal of faith nights, which take many forms. Discussions, attending worship services of different faiths, or creating a 'support ceremony' offer ways for volunteers to share their faith journeys.