Some programs have specific skill needs, and others look for a bachelor's degree or a few years of related volunteer or job experience. Spanish competence is helpful in many placements and required for some. Volunteers receive two weeks of paid vacation and follow the vacation policies of their placement agencies. LVC retreats are not counted as vacation time. Work schedules depend on the job description.
Volunteers live in communities of four to seven people.
They live in low to middle income, racially diverse neighborhoods which are chosen with regard to safety, access to public transportation, and proximity to work sites. Volunteers may share bedrooms, but in some cases have their own rooms. Homes are adequately but simply furnished with donated kitchen supplies and furniture. As a community, volunteers decide how to handle finances, agree on regular times to be together, learn how to make decisions and resolve conflict through consensus, and divide household responsibilities. Through these activities, the household becomes a support system, or intentional community, to help individuals cope with the challenges of the volunteer year.