Our Brethren House started in 1972 as a community house for volunteers of the Brethren Volunteer Service (a precursor to the Peace Corp) and has been in continuous service for over 50 years. The house supports the volunteers from BVS as well as another organization called Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, a German organization that focuses on Jewish communities and education. Additionally, we also have residents who are engaged in volunteer and social justice work within the District of Columbia. 

The volunteers work at a variety of projects, depending on their interests and the placements that their programs have available. Currently, we have volunteers serving the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Jewish Community Center, the Brethren Office of Peace and Policy, the Mennonite Central Committee, the Center for Consciousness and War, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual, and the Creation Justice Ministry. 

Our housemates are sourced from different volunteer agencies, with the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) being primary. Some of our housemates are volunteers from the International Volunteer Exchange Program for the Mennonite Church (IVEP), the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP), and the Austrian Government. We have enjoyed long term partnerships with ARSP and BVS for many years. 

Brethren House proves to be a formative experience in the personal growth and development for most of our housemates, who are between high school and college. All housemates participate in “House” dinners every evening from Monday thru Thursday and share cooking responsibilities. Living in community with people from different countries, backgrounds, and opinions serves as a solid foundation for a life of service in an intercultural world. We often hear stories from our Brethren House Alumni about how much their lives changed from the powerful experience of living together.