Martin Luther King (MLK) Day of Service

Our All Saints Catholic community shares their spirit, grace, and faith with the larger community during our Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service. Please find the list of service opportunities below. Please note: some activities may change prior to registration after Christmas break. We suggest you select the community service that best fits your family as there are age requirements for Feed My Starving Children and St. Patrick’s Residence.

Registration links are located below within each of the community service activity descriptions.

All Saints Catholic Academy Day of Service is not necessarily about the specific service project or even a specific day, it is about giving of yourself using your faith, grace, spirit, strengths, and heart for the benefit of others. It is incredibly important to reflect on how the activity impacts you. Focus on the activity, but really pay attention to its impact on you. Obviously, the activities listed below are just a few of the possibilities in Naperville and surrounding communities. Some other examples include help your neighbors (with your parents) by shoveling their driveways and sidewalks, writing notes to senior citizens in your neighborhood, volunteer with your family at an organization close to your heart. The community service activity can be completed any time during the month of January to allow families to complete community service opportunities in a way that works for them. We encourage you to find an activity that matches your passion and participate wholeheartedly.

**Requirement** Each student must complete and return the reflection form their classroom teacher by January 31, 2018.

1.  Feed My Starving Children

Location: 555 Exchange Court Aurora, IL 60504

Description:

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s hungry children in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and we ship these meals to our distribution partners.

TWO SESSIONS:

9:30-11:30 AM- Session 1 Registration Portal

2:30-4:30 PM-  Session 2 Registration Portal

There are 60 spots available in each session.

Age guidelines are as follows: Grade K-2 there must be one adult volunteer per child volunteer, Grades 3 and up, we ask for one parent volunteer to participate per family.

Sign up directly through the link next to your preferred session.

Agree to the volunteer guidelines/requirements and click “confirm”.

“Log in” or “Create a New Account” and once you have entered your information, you can click “Add Member Names” to add your children.

It is highly recommended that you do not wait to reserve your spot as these reservations fill quickly.

2.  St. Margaret Mary Parish Clean-up

Location: St. Margaret Mary Parish 1450 Green Trails Dr. Naperville

Session: 9:00-10:00 am for 20 student volunteers (may change if the church is needed for a service)

Facilitator: Terri Dieter

Description: ASCA volunteers assist the parish by cleaning pews and vacuuming the church.

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-stmargaret 

3. St. Elizabeth Seton Parish Caring Cards Ministry

Location: ASCA Cafeteria

Session: 8:30-10:30 am for 20 students

Description: ASCA volunteers make uplifting and prayerful cards for parishioners and/or their loved ones who are chronically ill, elderly/lonely, or recently widowed. Cards will be sent monthly and all information is kept confidential. Our goal is 80 cards filled with Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Spring themed cards.

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-stelizabeth 

4. St. Thomas the Apostle Kindness Rocks Project

Location: St. Thomas the Apostle 1500 Brookdale Rd Naperville

Session: SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 following a yet-to-be determined mass

Number of spots: 15 volunteers

Facilitator: Vickie Lo

Description: Students will help parishioners write messages of faith, peace, and love on pre-decorated rocks at the completion of mass. This activity is part of our Kindness Rocks Project and the rocks, once completed, will be placed around the Peace Pole at St. Thomas as well as in the Kindness Rock garden at ASCA.

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-stthomas 

5. St. Patrick’s Residence

Location: St. Patrick’s Residence 1400 Brookdale Rd. Naperville

Session: 1:45-3:30 pm for 12 volunteers (not including parents)

AGE REQUIREMENT: Grades 5-8

Description: Students will facilitate games (Wii, Bocci Ball, table tennis, and one other table game) with residents of St. Patrick’s.

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-stpatricks

6. West Suburban Community Pantry

Location: 6809 Hobson Valley Drive Woodridge, IL 60517

Session: 10:00 am- 12:00 pm for 10 volunteers (not including parents)

Description: The West Suburban Community Pantry offers food for the hungry and resources to empower persons to improve the quality of life. Our vision is a community without hunger. Volunteers will organize and pack meals for families while learning about the vital importance of access to balanced meals and healthy food. 

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-west

7. 360 Youth Services & Bridge Communities

Location: ASCA Gym

Sessions: 11:00 am-3:00 pm There will be rolling 2 hour sessions within this time frame that include set-up, making cards, packing baskets, and cleaning up the session. Please pay attention to the time you sign up for on Sign Up Genius as that will be when we are counting on you to be there.

Volunteer Spots: 20 per session

Facilitator: Margaret Danahy

Description: Volunteers make welcome baskets for individuals and families embarking on a new journey and entering transitional housing. Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in one of two options: packing baskets or making welcome cards. Our goal is to make 50 baskets/cards each (total of 100) for 360 Youth Services and Bridge Communities.

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-360youth

8. DuPage Pads Valentine’s Day Cards

Location: ASCA Cafeteria

Session: 10:30 am-12:30 pm for 20 students

Description: Volunteers will make 70 Valentine’s Day cards for DuPage Pads clients. DuPage Pads is an organization that provides shelter and food for homeless individual and families 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Everyone can appreciate the importance of a little love happiness that comes with receiving a handmade card!

Registration Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4EA5A72CABFD0-dupage

9. Benedictine University Day of Service

Location: Benedictine University Lisle, IL

Unlimited number of volunteers.

Description: Here is the information sent from Benedictine regarding their Day f Service activities. No registration is needed.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential civil rights leader who had a remarkable impact on race relations in America. Benedictine University has planned several community service projects in his honor to commemorate the spirit of service from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 15, in Kindlon Hall.

Benedictine stresses the importance of community, of welcoming the stranger and of caring for the other, and makes numerous efforts throughout the year to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Volunteers can participate in the following community service projects during this “Day of Service” on campus:

• Create room decorations for hospital patients.
• Pack a backpack with personal hygiene items (deodorant, lip balm, twin blade razors, shaving cream, hairbrush, etc.) for DuPagePads.
• Make valentines for veterans.
• Make fleece blankets for Advocate Hospice and the Ronald McDonald House (please bring two yards of fleece material).
• Contribute to a bicycle drive (bikes in need of repair accepted) for DuPagePads.
• Create Build-A-Bears for the Ronald McDonald House at Edward Hospital.
• Organize birthday bags for children served by local food pantries.
• Construct bird feeders for the elderly.

All are welcome to volunteer, but children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. For those who cannot make it to the event but would still like to contribute, the University is accepting donations of backpacks, canned food, fleece, school supplies, cake mixes, frosting, candles, birthday gift bags, new small toys and books.

Items can be dropped off daily prior to the event from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Krasa Student Center, Room 015, or taken after 5:00 p.m. to the Benedictine University Police office located in the lower level of the parking garage. 

Items can also be dropped off on the day of the event.

For more information, contact Joan Henehan at jhenehan@ben.edu or (630) 829-6617.