Notre Dame Mission Volunteers: Responding to the Call to Transform Lives
July 7, 2026
By Cora Davis, NDMV Director of Communications
Responding joyfully to the Gospel call often begins with a simple “yes”— a willingness to serve, to trust and to step into the unknown. At Notre Dame Mission Volunteers (NDMV), that joyful response transforms lives.
Responding to the great need for teachers, NDMV places volunteers in schools and adult learning programs to tutor, mentor and support learners of all ages.
When Brittany Sachs joined NDMV in 2010, she had a degree in education but no classroom experience. What she discovered was more than a first job — it was a calling.
“When you’re going into a service opportunity, it opens your mind to serve the greater good . . . to stepping up to do whatever is needed,” shared Sachs. Today, she serves as principal of the very school where she once volunteered — her “yes” continuing to shape students’ lives.
Her story reflects a larger mission. For 35 years, NDMV has invited volunteers to live out the simple truth that “It is better to give than receive,” through service. NDMV believes one year dedicated to others can inspire a lifetime of purpose, forming educators who lead with compassion, resilience and joy.
Jess Kanoff, now NDMV’s director of operations, first served nearly a decade ago. Immersed in community, she learned that teaching is not just theory but presence. “I learned the most about teaching by being in the community and being absorbed by it,” said Kanoff. Today, she continues to respond to the call to service by mentoring others on their own journeys of service.
In response to the need for teachers, NDMV places volunteers in schools and adult learning programs to tutor, mentor and support learners of all ages. This work builds skills, confidence and hope—especially when challenges arise. Volunteers like Peter Lynch hold the belief that “Every single student is a child of God,” a truth he upholds even on his hardest days in the classroom.
One year of service becomes something more: a lifelong commitment to showing up, investing in others and joyfully living the Gospel—one student, one classroom, one community at a time.
