Community service outreach is a large part of who we are as Catholics and Christians. Christ calls us to serve each other over and over again in the Bible and at Saint Gregory the Great we answer that call! All middle school students at SGGS are required to complete 12 hours of community service per year. The 12 hours are broken down as 4 En Christe hours and 8 hours of community service outreach to either SGGS, the church, or to the community at large. To tie students’ community service to their learning, students will be required to complete a written reflection (which is a test grade) in Theology class in January and May about their service. Students must complete 2 En Christe hours between June 9, 2025 and December 5, 2025 AND 2 En Christe hours between December 7, 2025 and May 1, 2026, so students have Works of Mercy activities to write about for each semester’s essay. The remaining 8 hours of community service may be completed at any time during the school year. All hours must be completed and logged into the student’s FACTS profile before May 1, 2024. The first 2 En Christe hours must be completed and logged by December 5, 2025. The second 2 En Christe hours must be completed and logged by May 1, 2026. Why En Christe hours? En Christe means “in Christ;” we are working in union with Jesus when we participate in the Works of Mercy! In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
The 4 En Christe hours MUST be tied to one of the Works of Mercy listed below:
● Feed the Hungry – Volunteering at a food bank, organizing a food drive by collecting food and bringing it to a food bank, serving food at a shelter or soup kitchen, make placemats for the people who get food from Meals on Wheels, make meals for the families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House
● Give Drink to the Thirsty – Raising money to go to clean water initiatives, cleaning up a lake or river, volunteering at a walk/event that raises money for a charity and giving water to the people participating in it
● Clothe the Naked – Organizing a clothing drive by collecting clothes (not from your house) and bringing them to a donation center, volunteering at a donation center
● Shelter the Homeless -Volunteering at a shelter, doing something to raise money to donate to a shelter
● Visit the Sick – Making cards for people in the hospital and delivering them, making coloring books for children in the hospital and delivering them
● Visit the Imprisoned* – Making cards for people in nursing homes/assisted living facilities and delivering them, volunteering at a nursing home/assisted living facility *Since Visit the Imprisoned usually applies to people in prison, middle school students may take a looser interpretation by visiting people who cannot get out and about by themselves such as people in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.
● Bury the Dead – Cleaning up the grounds of an old graveyard that has been neglected, putting wreaths or flags on graves (such as Wreaths Across America or flags on Veterans graves)
● Instruct the Ignorant – Spiritual Work of Mercy, which means to teach others about Jesus. Activities such as working at Vacation Bible School or being an aide in a first sacrament program or religious education class will count.
Suggestions for the 8 hours of community service/outreach that are not En Christe hours **
Below is a sample of some approved activities for student’s additional 8 hours of community service outreach. This list is not all encompassing.
**Students may not “buy” service hours by donating items during school charity drives. However, our middle school teachers and students support the JCOC (Judeo-Christian Outreach Center) by preparing and serving meals. Due to the small number of students who can physically fit in the kitchen, students who shop for the food and prepare the ingredients for the meals may count that as community service.
There is a difference between volunteering and doing community service. Only the types of community service activities listed in this document may be counted as approved service. Examples of volunteer activities that you may not count as approved service include (but are not limited to): working at another school’s sport game concession stand selling items, selling Boy Scout popcorn or Girl Scout cookies, babysitting for your family or
a neighbor, watering a neighbor’s plants while they are on vacation, pet sitting, any activities completed during the school day including those that involve your prayer buddies, and any activity for which the student is compensated either with money, a material object, or with a discount. If you have a question about whether a service is considered volunteering or community service outreach, please ask your Theology teacher.
Important things to remember when doing community service:
- Get your parents permission before you contact the organization.
- Contact the organization before you go there to make sure they have room for you and allow students your age to volunteer.
- Do your service at organizations that appeal to you. You should like doing the kinds of activities you have signed up for, service shouldn’t be “a chore”, you should enjoy it.
- Make sure to do whatever tasks you are assigned without complaining. Be positive. Make a good impression. You not only represent yourself, but you also represent your family and your school.
- Be organized and prepared for your service so when you arrive at the location you can begin right away.
- Don’t use electronic devices while you are at your service location. Be present in the moment while serving.
- Use your “free” time wisely so that you can fit doing service into your schedule. Remember you have homework, friends, family, and extracurricular activities also that require your time and attention.
- Don’t forget to log your hours in FACTS SIS as soon as you complete them.
- Remember you must complete 2 En Christe before December 5, 2025 AND 2 En Christe hours between May 1, 2026
If you would like to volunteer to work bingo concessions, please email Christine Opdyke at sggcbingo@gmail.com to check for availability.