Members of the Paul VI High School boys soccer team have been hard at work this summer, not only preparing for the upcoming year, but also taking part in their Season of Service project with Habitat for Humanity.
“I think Habitat for Humanity is a really cool service opportunity because you are able to see that you are helping other people in a more prevalent way,” senior center midfielder Landon Sentak said. “You get out there, and you’re actually doing.”
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian organization that brings people together to build homes and communities. It has helped more than 35 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976.
The Paul VI team has been meeting families and helping them improve and build their homes, and will continue to do so throughout the school year. In mid-August, they helped with paint, landscaping and more at the Habitat for Humanity warehouse in Woodbury. Other projects include rehabbing and delivering furniture, and helping families choose items for their home at the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Pitman.
Ashley Griffiths, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Gloucester County, addressed the Paul VI soccer team Aug. 25 in the Haddonfield school’s cafeteria after a morning practice. She told the team that a local mother with two special-needs children is closer to purchasing her home thanks to the work the Paul VI soccer team contributed. The mother is currently living in substandard housing with leaks and mold, Griffiths said. The team also collected household items and building supplies to donate to Habitat for Humanity. All levels of the boys soccer program helped out, and the girls soccer team bagged up some of the supplies.
“You guys are literally extending your arm to a family and working together to create a … more sustainable and stable life for families in our county,” Griffiths told the team.
The students seemed to already understand the mission of making life better for others. During the last school year, the team worked with the Ronald McDonald House, bringing cheer, gifts and friendship to families of hospitalized children.
“One time, we went and cooked food for them in the kitchen. It was just a great time hanging out with the kids and taking pictures with them,” senior right winger Owen Mead said. “Individually, it makes you think we are really lucky to have what we have, and we want to give back as much as possible, too.”
Working in the community also helps the team form strong bonds with each other. Paul VI’s boys soccer team has more than a dozen seniors on the roster, and the Eagles have a real shot to do something special this season.
“We’re all friends on the team, and we are pretty close,” Mead said. “Knowing we are helping others brings us even closer together.”
Standing on ladders while scraping paint and mowing through high grass can be backbreaking work. The Paul VI soccer team does it with a sincere smile. It’s a trend that was passed down from last year’s coach, Bob Stocklin, to new coach Dominic Pernice, who were actually college teammates.
“We have a [service] culture here,” Sentak said. “People want to participate. The freshmen come in and they are ready to be a part of that culture.”
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