Service

Service Project Friday

The Newman Center strives to serve our local community and to open the eyes of our students' to the needs of those around them. We volunteer almost every month (usually on Friday because most students don't have classes that day) with various organizations around the St. Louis Metro Area. Help alleviate sub-standard housing, help feed those in poverty, or help educate children by volunteering with us. If you would like to be placed on our Service Friday e-mail list, send your name and e-mail address to cnc@cncumsl.org. If you join the e-mail list, we will alert you to upcoming service opportunities a few weeks before the event. See past projects here.

Social justice month: March 2010!

Social Justice Month (usually March) is a time that the Catholic Newman Center sets aside to emphasize a specific part of our faith, though social justice is applicable to people of all faiths. The purpose of Social Justice Month is to raise awareness, increase education, and open people's eyes to the variety of people that are suffering in the world. We want to be able to explore others’ plights and hopefully help to alleviate some of their suffering. It helps foster an awareness of other people's struggles and helps us understand the ways in which the people we serve can teach us. Look at our 2010 Social Justice Month Page for a calendar of events!

Domestic Service Trips

Every year, the Catholic Newman Center takes a Service Trip to broaden our horizons, open our eyes to the bigger community of those in need, and grow as people of God. The timing of the trip has varied over the years, sometimes occurring in May, January, or March. Contact Liz if you are interested! We have gone to two placements in the last few years, because we loved them so much--but are always open to new ideas! See description below or view pictures of our trips in the Photo Album.

04,05,06,07: Nazareth Farm , WV

Nazareth Farm is a Catholic community of volunteers inspired by the Gospels and Social Teachings of the Church and focused on prayer, community, simplicity, and service. They are devoted to developing relationships and eliminating sub-standard housing through home repair in rural West Virginia. They provide a communal experience of Church as a center of action and prayer. Our very own graduate, Julie Schneider (class of '07), had such powerful experiences at Naz Farm that she decided to give a year of her life in volunteer service there! Learn more about Naz Farm here.

08,09: Bethlehem Farm, WV
Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic home repair center located in Appalachia, and is the sister farm of Nazareth Farm. Their ministry, also based on the Gospels and the Catholic Social Teachings, is built on a life of centered on the cornerstones of prayer, community, service, simplicity, and an added one of sustainability. B-Farm (as we affectionately call it) responds to the needs of the local community and live in solidarity with the people they serve as both are led into a closer relationship with Christ. The core group of caregivers host volunteer groups who live the communal life while serving the local community by working with local organizations and individuals who request help. Learn more about B-Farm here.

2010: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge South Dakota

“Re-Member” is a non-profit organization on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, hosting more than 1200 volunteers at Pine Ridge each year for week-long service trips with an emphasis on cultural exchange. From 1980 to 2000, the counties that make up Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota comprised the poorest of our nation's 3,143 counties. As of 2007 Pine Ridge has a per capita income of $4,000, 8 times the national rate of diabetes, twice the rate of heart disease, more than twice the national suicide rate, and 4 times the national rate of teenage suicide. Perhaps the most disturbing fact is that life expectancy on Pine Ridge is the lowest in the United States and the 2nd lowest in the Western Hemisphere; only Haiti has a lower rate. During the week, CNC students would participate in various work projects across the Reservation, helping to rebuild relationships, homes, and lives, while learning about the Lakota tribe from the elders. We are taking 18 students, 3 vans and a lot of snacks to leave on May 21 and return May 29!

Catholic Social Teaching Group [Ongoing Awareness]:

Come learn about the Catholic Church's "Best Kept Secret" - Catholic Social Teaching! We will discuss and look at the Church's historical and current views and encyclicals on human rights, the environment, workers' rights, and poverty. The group will explore the different themes of CST more in depth each week. No commitment required, come to as many sessions as you can! More details about dates and times TBA. Contact Liz for more details or if you are interested in joining us.

Newman Garden

Motivated by the themes of simplicity, sustainability, and concern for the earth taught at Bethlehem Farm, our returning students ted students decided to take those themes and adapt them for our own community. The students planned, prepared, planted, and weeded a garden in the CNC backyard to produce multiple vegetables for consumption as they taught about ethical purchasing and planting. We have fresh tomatoes, and will have a garden harvest day coming up in September...come on by!

The Big Event: May 1st

This is a campus-wide service project sponsored by Student Government and lots of organizations on campus. Last year, we worked on campus (in Mark Twain) with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and some 'littles' that had yet to be 'adopted.' Each student organization provided a game or activity for the 'littles' to play, crafts, coloring, icebreakers, and kickball were a big hit!

Relay For Life: April 23-April 24

Join UMSL and the American Cancer Society for Relay For Life® for a fun-filled overnight experience designed to bring together the campus community against cancer. The events are held overnight to represent the fact that cancer never sleeps. Through the survivors' lap and the luminaria ceremony, we honor the people who have faced cancer first hand, and we remember those who have been lost to this disease. Lots of activities, spirit bucks, midnight chili, decorations, costumes, music, and solidarity make this an excellent all-nighter!

Please see our calendar for the most current service opportunities.

If you or your organization are interested in doing service projects and are looking for sites, contact Liz Detwiler at the Catholic Newman Center at 314-385-3455 or cnc@cncumsl.org.