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Religious Studies
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"Student community service is a powerful learning experience. It provides a way to effectively change and address our nation's pressing social problems. Students who volunteer receive more than just the satisfaction of helping those in need: they learn responsibility, build character, solve problems and gain a better understanding of their communities. Student volunteers can change the course of history by touching the lives of many while gaining valuable life experience."
- Judith S. Berson
Emmanuel students are involved with on-going volunteer service at a number of agencies and institutions in the city of Boston. Students make individual arrangements depending on their class schedule. Some of the service projects the students are involved in include:
E.C.S.T.A.T.I.C.
Emmanuel College Students Taking Action to Initiate Change. Provides weekly volunteer opportunities partnered with reflection. Contact Campus Ministry for more information.
New Student Day of Service
As part of their Welcome Week activities, all incoming Emmanuel students learn about service opportunities in Boston by serving at various Boston non-profit agencies on Orientation Service Day. Sites include The Greater Boston Food Bank, Community Servings, Cradles to Crayons, Charles River Conservancy, St. Francis House, NICE Preschool, Project Hope, Franklin Park Zoo, Saturday/Sunday Bread and The Boston Living Center.
- Photos from New Student Day of Service 2006
- Photos from New Student Day of Service 2005
- Photos from New Student Day of Service 2004
Making a Difference in the Life of a Child
Emmanuel students are committed to providing literacy training for elementary school age children. These students are placed at both public and private inner-city after-school programs, where they mentor students with homework help and facilitate games and activities that increase academic skills. After-school programs include:
- St. Katherine's School
- Farragut Elementary School
- Ellis Mendell Elementary School
- Jumpstart
Events for Charity and Awareness
Students are given many opportunities throughout the year to participate in events for awareness and charity. Students in past years have participated in the Breast Cancer Walk, Walk for Hunger, MS Walk for Life and Charles River Clean-Up on Earth Day. Many organizations on campus are also involved in these events, such as Peace and Justice Club and Social Awareness Club.
Alternative Spring Break
During Spring Break, Emmanuel students can participate in a weeklong service project. In 2005, 25 students and 5 staff members traveled 2,700 miles to Phoenix, AZ. The Emmanuel group served at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, where they helped to prepare and serve meals for the homeless and working poor, and sorted donated clothing and household items. Other service sites were St. Matthew's School, where Emmanuel students were housed during the week, and Maggie's Place, a home for expectant young mothers.
Students find these opportunities to be very life-giving. They have a chance to help others, to pray and reflect on their experiences, and to live in a communal setting that helps bond them to each other and to the culture they are living in.
For more information about Alternative Spring Break, please contact the Campus Ministry Office.
Habitat for Humanity
Once a month, a group of five to six students led by a member of the faculty or staff goes to Ipswich, MA and works with Habitat for Humanity.
Peace and Justice Club
The Peace and Justice Club promotes harmony and fights inequality, mainly through community service. Members of this club choose not to be passive bystanders, but to take an active role in amending social issues. Meetings are held every other Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. in the Jean Yawkey Center. New members are always welcome.
Peace and Justice volunteers bi-weekly at organizations like Community Servings, Rosie's Place and Boston Living Center. They volunteer monthly with organizations like Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Annual traditions and events include: Fall Service Day, Halloween Party for St. Francis after-school program, City-Year Serve-a-thon, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (and other nationally-recognized weeks pertaining to service), gift-wrapping at Faneuil Hall, MS Walk, Light the Night Walk and a Toga Party for charity.
City Year Serve-A-Thon
City leaders and students join corporations, faith-based organizations and community groups to serve throughout Greater Boston. Together, these 5,000 people perform 30,000 hours of transformative service beautifying green spaces, transforming urban schools, and providing much needed support to community organizations. These extraordinary citizens also raise money to support the City Year Boston corps members in their year of community service.
Community Servings
Community Servings is a non-profit organization that prepares and delivers meals to home-bound AIDS patients. Peace and Justice Club members volunteer at Community Servings the third Friday of each month.
ESOL Program: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages — Building Bridges
Students, faculty and staff teach the English language to our food service workers who are from several different countries. It is a wonderful way to reach out to those who are making their way in a new country. The "teachers" are learning about various cultures and are enjoying the opportunity to form friendships among themselves and with their "students."
