“Get out there and do it!” say local Catholic teens

That was the overarching theme of the S.E.R.V.E. Mini-Camp participants after a week of working at Ozanam Inn. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans S.E.R.V.E.: Students Engaging in Reflective Volunteer Experiences is an opportunity for high school students to give back to the community and achieve the service hours required by many area high schools.
The group of eight teenagers gathered each day at the homeless center to sort canned goods, help prepare and serve meals, and fold bed linens to prepare the rooms from the coming evening. For most of them those activities were to be expected, but what was most impactful was the interaction with the clients.
“We’ve actually been able to help people who come here for services,” says Pelar Edwards, a parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Kenner who will be representing her parish on the archdiocesan Teen CROSS board in the coming year. “Getting out there and helping people is everything, even if it just means putting a smile on someone’s face,” she added.
Miguel D’Elia, a student at Holy Rosary High School and a parishioner at St. Margaret Mary in Slidell, echoed her sentiment. Miguel spent the previous week volunteering at Greenwalt Senior Center with SERVE and is already looking forward to the next week at Second Harvest Food Bank. He said even though school required a specific number of service hours he keeps coming back because of the people.
“Being around other people, working together and helping others is what it’s all about,” said Miguel.
St. Catherine of Siena parishioner and Mount Carmel Academy student Ashley Heller brought a wealth of volunteer experience to her week, but described her week-long experience of working with the clients at Ozanam Inn as special.
“I’ve done several service projects with school and with my CYO, but working with the clients here (at Ozanam Inn) and hearing what they go through and seeing how hard they work is humbling and impactful,” said Ashley. “Normally you work on a project for just a day but with SERVE you have a week to learn about the mission and it’s a really great way to learn and experience your faith. We are living our faith.”
Students can sign up for 12-32 hours of volunteering at various sites throughout the archdiocese including Second Harvest Food Bank and Ozanam Inn. Volunteer sessions culminate with a day of reflection and fun where students connect their volunteer experiences to ways they can continue to make a difference in their own communities.
For more information about volunteer opportunities for teens and adults through Catholic Charities, click here.