From organizing food drives and assembling care packages for the homeless, to visiting seniors to collecting shoes and boots for the less fortunate, students in Catholic schools across the Diocese of Camden have been making an impact in their communities in the weeks before Christmas.
Students participating in the elective honors religion and service-learning course at Gloucester Catholic High School, Gloucester City, continued an annual tradition of visiting STARS, an adult daycare center, to spend some time with seniors.
“We visit STARS each year when we discuss Catholic social teaching and Right to Life. We emphasize that every life has immense dignity and made in God’s image, and then we put that into practice by going to STARS and upholding the personalistic norm of the visitors there,” said Alaina Silber, the school’s coordinator of Christian Service, as well as the retreat coordinator and chair of the religion department. “We played bingo, sang Christmas songs, and just got to know them with warm conversations. I love hearing about my students’ experiences, and how they were nervous at first but then left with some beautiful, personal experiences with the people at STARS.”
Zoeanah DeAngelis, 17, has always enjoyed participating in service projects and jumped at the opportunity to sign up for the elective class. The member of Infant Jesus Parish, Woodbury Heights, enjoyed the visit to STARS and was warmed by seeing how excited the seniors were to spend time with her classmates.
“There was one woman in particular, Miss Deli, who my friend Anna and I sat down with. She was very in tune with her faith and had such a shining personality,” DeAngelis said. “She had an unfortunate medical problem that caused her to go blind, and she explained to us that she is grateful for God every day for helping her through.”
Silber said her students volunteer in the community about once every other week, with activities aligning with classroom lessons in Catholic social teaching. Other sites they have visited include Archbishop Damiano School, Sacred Heart Elementary, Camden Kids Academy, Guadalupe Family Services, Catholic Charities, First Way of Life, Cathedral Kitchen, Center for Environmental Transformation and Homeward Bound, among others.
“These opportunities not only allow our students to volunteer in their local community, but also allow them to grow socially as well as spiritually,” Silber said.
Stuffed with care
Second-graders attending Saint Margaret Regional School, Woodbury Heights, have spent the Christmas season decorating stockings with messages of faith, hope and love – and filling those stockings with candy donated by the school’s families. The hundreds of stockings are being provided to Joseph’s House, Camden, along with sandwiches and snack bags – made by their sixth-grade peers – to help bring joy to those experiencing homelessness in the community.
“The recipients of the sandwiches, snack bags and Christmas stockings will know that there is someone who cares and shares the messages that God loves them,” second-grade teacher Ellie Cordner said. “Through the positive messages on the cards, bags and stockings, we hope this brings them closer to their own faith.”
A similar outreach was organized by students at Wildwood Catholic Academy, Wildwood, who collected donations of items such as water bottles, crackers, granola bars and hand wipes, and assembled more than 300 “Blessing Bags” to deliver to those experiencing homelessness in Rio Grande and Atlantic City.
“It was a good experience for the students to assemble the bags and have the time to reflect on the reality of homelessness in our community,” said religion teacher and community outreach coordinator Katie McCann. “It is an important reminder to be grateful for the many things we are blessed to have. Filling the bags with items that are simple and taken for granted may be the only gift received by some this season, which is a valuable lesson.”
Peyton Rosenello, 16, said it felt good to do something for the community during the Advent season.
“Some people have more than others, but I think everyone should be able to be happy and healthy, especially during this time of year,” said Rosenello, a member of Notre Dame de la Mer Parish, Wildwood.
J’Lynn Gooch, 17 – and a member of the same parish – described the experience as humbling.
“I think it’s important to give back because I feel like we, as teens or sometimes adults, just get handed things. But most people don’t have that opportunity,” Gooch said. “So giving back is our way of showing that there are always good people out there to help.”
Food and clothing
Meanwhile, the community of Saint John Paul II Regional School, Stratford, has spent the past month organizing a canned food drive along with Knights of Columbus Council 2976 and the Parish Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lindenwold. Students and their families donate specific items, which are assembled into food baskets by the Knights. The school also held a dress down day, with proceeds supporting the purchase of any other items needed for the baskets.
“The students have gained a decent background on helping others, and it is our hope that they will continue when they move onto high school,” principal Helen Persing said. “Projects like this help our students to understand that all deserve fair treatment in our society.”
Another annual service tradition takes place at Christ the King Regional School, Haddonfield. Students there participate in a project each Thanksgiving that helps raise money to support the purchase of shoes from a local retailer who provides pairs at the heavily discounted price of $5 each to support those in need. This year, the school purchased 100 pairs of shoes, and provided those along with donated socks to local parishes and nonprofits. Additional fundraising projects in the spring help replenish funds for additional outreach projects.
“When our children of Christ the King raise money or donate items or food, we are very intentional that they are aware that their small coins can make a big change,” principal Anne Hartman said. “We are diligent in making sure that a spiritual connection is made to the acts of mercy and to the scriptural reference of Matthew 25 – whatever you do to the least of these, you do for me. The children are asked not to just give things, but to thank God and bless their gift with an attitude of gratitude for all that they have and what they are able to share with others.”
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