Catholic Charities of the Diocese of
Matthew
25 Student Service Projects
For information, a class visit, or to design a special
project ,
please contact
Sally O’Dwyer, sodwyer@ccda.net or
703/841-3838
Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Arlington is the arm of the Catholic Church charged with serving
those in need. We provide a number of
services to the community, including Immigrant Services, Prison Ministry,
Shelter for the Homeless, a Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry, Crisis Pregnancy
Support, Adoption Services, Elderly Services, Emergency Financial Assistance,
Parish Social Ministry, Counseling, and much more.
An important part of our
mission is to reach out to the community and invite those living in the Diocese
to share in our service to the vulnerable, the poor and the lonely. This is where you, as a student, come in.
We hope you will consider
starting a service project, either as an individual or with your classmates! It’s important for all students to
participate in acts of charity. Either
as an individual or with a group of friends, Catholic Charities can design a
Service Project suited to your interests, time available, and location. Here are a few ideas:
Adopt a Family!
Your group can adopt a family
in need. We will select a family for you
to get to know. You or your group can
write letters of support, send care packages, and pray for the family. We will ask the adopted family to pray for
you as well.
Ministry for Prisoners
Sister Connie will visit your
classroom and talk with students about the life of prisoners and how all people
are children of God. Students can
collect holiday cards and postage stamps to distribute to inmates, and perhaps write
cards and letters to inmates under Sister’s supervision. Students can also collect bibles for
prisoners.
Adopt a Senior!
You and your group can adopt
a lonely senior, write cards and send care packages. You can sign up as
intergenerational buddies to call and check up on seniors who like to chat on
the phone. You can take a field trip to
the Saint Martin dePorres
Feed the Hungry
Our Food Pantry, located at
Christ House, feeds people all across the diocese. This is where the 12,000+ cans of O’Connell’s
Chunky Soup went. THANK YOU! J We have a van, known as “Christ House on
Wheels,” which delivers food to those in need in rural parts of our diocese, as
well as in the local area. As a result,
we are in great need of non-perishable food. Would you be interested in
conducting a canned food drive? Students
could collect food in their neighborhoods to stock the food pantry. At the same time, they could learn about
nutrition and the plight of the hungry among us. Often, students think that the only people
who are hungry reside in some far-off land.
Recyclers for Christ
You could learn about the
importance of recycling/reusing, and collect items for our Thrift Shop at
Christ House. The Thrift Shop offers
goods for low-income families and individuals.
We are always looking for quality items.
The Thrift Shop is rather small, so we limit our items to gently worn clothing,
small household items, and knick-knacks.
Gifts for Baby Jesus
A great way to celebrate life
would be to conduct a diaper and baby needs drive to replenish the baby needs
closet at Children’s Services offices in Burke and
Welcome the Stranger
Welcome the Stranger by
helping the Hogar Hispano (immigration)
staff with outreach. You, and your classmates
could deliver flyers that provide information about our English as a Second
Language classes and Naturalization workshops to local businesses, churches,
and other locations. The best time for outreach is Saturday mornings, when many
people are walking about.
Special Events
There are several special
events held annually that classes could participate in: The Walk for Life is
held early each May, and the Help the Homeless Walkathon, organized by Fannie
Mae, is held in November – this year on Saturday, November 17th.
The Bunny Project
Celebrate the Resurrection by
providing Easter Baskets for children in need.
Students bring in baskets and candy.
Classes enjoy making up baskets.
These baskets will be distributed by Catholic Charities to children who
might not otherwise receive an Easter basket.
School Supplies Collection
You could collect school
supplies including backpacks for other school children in need. Most helpful if collected in May to be ready
for the new school year.
Help the Homeless
Conduct a coat or hats and
gloves drive. Those who are homeless
also really appreciate new warm socks.
Items will be distributed to homeless individuals and families from our
shelter. Toiletries also needed and
appreciated.
Check out our website for detailed information on our
programs and locations.