Community Corps

It’s time to unsettle the ordinary.

Amid an epidemic of homelessness, the Gospel calls us to make a home among the poor, surrendering comfort for community. That’s why we created Community Corps, a yearlong adventure with a focus on intentional work while living and serving among formerly homeless men and women in Austin’s most vibrant neighborhood.

Through Community Corps, you will root yourself in God’s goodness at Community First! Village, a master-planned community designed especially for men and women who have experienced chronic homelessness. A development of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Community First! Village is changing the way individuals, churches and communities around the world respond to the pandemic of homelessness.

It’s time to unsettle the ordinary

Joining the Community Corps program at Community First! Village brings you into a two-fold relational journey. Your shared experiences in serving our Village neighbors will bind you to your fellow Community Corps participants in meaningful relationships. You will also enter the crazy-beautiful community of those who call the Village home, including our formerly homeless neighbors and missional neighbors. 

As a Community Corps participant, you will dive deep into life at the Village. You will be exposed to cultural differences, unusual living situations, as well as beauty you’ve never imagined. You’ll discover that living in this community is hard work, but the rewards are eternal. 

“The suffering we are seeing on our streets is not an intractable situation. We need to accept, however, that it’s also not a fix-and-repair situation or one waiting for a cure that will make it go away. The only way we are going to mitigate this crisis—this pandemic of homelessness—is through caring about each other as human beings.”

– Alan Graham, Founder and ceo, Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Joining the Community Corps program at Community First! Village brings you into a two-fold relational journey. Your shared experiences in serving our Village neighbors will bind you to your fellow Community Corps participants in meaningful relationships. You will also enter the crazy-beautiful community of those who call the Village home, including our formerly homeless neighbors and missional community members.

As a Community Corps participant, you will dive deep into life at the Village. You will be exposed to cultural differences, unusual living situations, as well as beauty you’ve never imagined. You’ll discover that living in this community is hard work, but the rewards are eternal.

COMMUNITY CORPS PROGRAM DETAILS

Hands-on service will ground your faith in practice. Community Corps participants spend their time living among and working with our neighbors who live in Community First! Village.

  • Yearlong residency program starting in August, immersive work experience
  • Full-time placement within an MLF team on-site at Community First! Village
  • Working alongside staff, volunteers and neighbors
  • Participation in staff-wide events
  • On-site living in a microhome

what to expect

The Community Corps Program is an immersive work experience at Community First! Village, with each participant being assigned to one of the departments listed at the bottom of the page.
All participants will receive hands-on training in our relational work culture through dedicated instruction time, all-staff events, and department-specific gatherings.
Through this immersive work experience, each participant will be invited to engage with experts from MLF staff to grow your skills and expand your professional experiences.
Connect with our vibrant community and develop relationships with those touched by homelessness. By living on-site Community First! Village and integrating into village life, each participant will have opportunities to learn about our unique culture and discover how to navigate this one-of-a-kind community.
Join in on a variety of community meals and events happening all the time at the village, with opportunities including Movie Nights, bingo, Living Room hangouts, Bible studies, karaoke and more!
At our monthly staff meetings and department meetings, participants will be connected to MLF staff members and get a wider picture of how we mitigate homelessness and build community as an organization.
Spend a full day walking the streets of Austin listening deeply and intentionally stepping outside our daily routines. This retreat creates space to be present, to learn, and to be open to stories that so often go unseen.
Assist with the food preparation and then the distribution of food and other items at each of the truck run stops. The goal of each truck run is to connect human to human, heart to heart with our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness.

accommodations

As a part of the Community Corps program, Community Corps participants will be provided housing and a monthly stipend.

Community Corps participants will live on-site at Community First! Village in one of our microhomes. Each participant will have their own individual microhome, which is equipped with air-conditioning, electricity and basic furnishings, as well as a mini-fridge, microwave and crock-pot for basic cooking. Participants are also welcome to use the Village’s state-of-the-art outdoor kitchens, which are equipped with full-size gas ranges and ovens, as well as the grills and firepits placed throughout the Village. All microhomes are built within close proximity to a community laundry/restroom/shower facility, each of which contains private bathrooms and showers. The laundry rooms are equipped with pay-per-use washers and dryers.

Community corps placement opportunities

Neighbor Care

The Neighbor Care Team is essential to every step of a new neighbor’s transition, supporting move-ins, conducting regular wellness check-ins, and helping neighbors navigate a wide range of on-site services, including medical care, behavioral health, recovery support, and disability-related resources. 

Replication

The Replication Team serves external guests—individuals, churches, nonprofit organizations, local government officials—who are exploring replicating the Community First! model.

Community Empowerment

Community Empowerment provides the necessary tools, resources and opportunities that help fulfill our organization’s vision to empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. This includes Community First! Village tours for guests, service opportunities for volunteers, dignified income opportunities for neighbors, and engagement opportunities for the public at community events.

Relationships & Giving

The Relationships & Giving team exists to cultivate relationships and coordinate giving while inviting donors deeper into MLF’s mission and vision. We steward relationships with a wide range of donors including individuals, faith partners, corporations and foundations. We coordinate giving events, annual giving campaigns and third-party campaigns. We also work closely with the Empowerment team to steward large group village tours and manage external speaking engagements.

Property Management

The Property Management Team takes care of our neighbors through helping them manage their homes, collecting rent payments, compliance with lease agreements, guidance for healthy living, as well as ensuring the Village is safe and secure.

Site Operations

Site Operations is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of physical assets at all CFV properties through the work of our Architecture + Operations, Construction, Purchasing, Groundskeeping, Maintenance, and Janitorial teams.

Application requirements

Are you being called to unsettle the ordinary?

Our Community Corps program is open to all applicants 21 and up. Each applicant is required to complete the Community Corps online application and provide at least three references (minimum of three professional, which can include professors, and one personal). We reserve the right to conduct a background check.

  • Resume – detailing your work experience, education experience, service/missions experience, and hobbies/interests.
  • Application questions – plan on 1-2 hours to work through these questions.
  • Essay – defining your call to this year of work in service to our formerly homeless neighbors who call Community First! Village home.
  • References – contact information for two references.

Interested in learning more?