While most people were gathering snacks and preparing food in preparation for the Big Game last month, youth from Saint Mary Parish, Cherry Hill, were putting the finishing touches on an annual effort to support those who aren’t as fortunate.
The parish youth ministry spent the weekend of Feb. 7-8 visiting Masses and appealing to fellow parishioners for support as they participated once again in the annual Souper Bowl of Caring campaign, a nationwide initiative organized by Tackle Hunger. Thanks to their efforts and the support of faithful there, the youth group was able to collect $2,588 in monetary donations and 300 pounds of food donations to support the Cherry Hill Food Pantry.
“The Cherry Hill Food Pantry is always in big need of help. That need, and the fact that our parishioners dedicate themselves to their mission, is why the youth group does their part in assisting,” said parish youth minister Stanley Thompson. “Even though some of our teens are not actually old enough to volunteer there, they can take part in helping the pantry by ‘stirring up’ Saint Mary’s [parishioners] to support their cause.”
That support has come through for the local nonprofit in a big way: Since 2021, the youth ministry has raised more than $11,500 in funding and provided over 2,500 pounds of non-perishable food items to help those in need in the community.
That commitment to giving back to the community extends beyond the annual February collection, too.
“Saint Mary’s youth group is service-oriented,” said Thompson. “Most of our 38 events throughout the year are service-related in some nature, whether it is a fundraising table for our own group, making sandwiches for Cathedral Kitchen, helping at UrbanPromise, or fundraising for the Cherry Hill Food Pantry.”
Thompson said that each month’s youth ministry social has a service component; he added that the group is unique in being open to all middle and high school students, ranging from sixth through 12th grades.
“The younger they start performing service on a regular basis, led by the Holy Spirit,” he said, “the more likely they will continue when they get older, I find.”
One of those members, 13-year-old Johnny Sperl, is a freshman at Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School, Philadelphia. He has been part of the youth ministry for nearly three years. While he initially joined to help satisfy middle school service-hour requirements, he quickly found reasons to stay.
“My membership in the group has gone far beyond fulfilling service hours, as I now have both a love of service and a meaningful connection to my community that I did not possess previously,” he said. “One highlight of youth group is the annual Vacation Bible School. I currently run a theater workshop at VBS, which is something I love doing and look forward to each year.”
Sperl was also a spokesperson for the Souper Bowl of Caring Campaign, and has shared announcements and helped to collect donations at Masses for the past two years.
“I am grateful to be able to contribute in a small way to an effort that helps tackle hunger in our community,” he said.
Sperl added that whether facing a difficult test, interpersonal struggles or pondering world events, faith has been a source of hope and security for him.
“My Catholic faith shows me how I should live and how I can help others achieve the best lives possible,” he said. “Faith is naturally abstract, and so at times, it can be strained due to a lack of physical presence. However, when a project such as the Souper Bowl of Caring helps people, my faith is strengthened. Service is where my faith becomes visible, both to others and to me.”
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