Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.

Alumni assist Catholic Charities
during ‘Jesuit Service Day’

By Judy Bokorney
Web Site Editor

SARASOTA—Alumni from seven Jesuit colleges and universities and employees of Home Depot spent a day painting, and doing maintenance and yard work at three Catholic Charities programs as part of “Jesuit Service Day”.

A total of 14 workers participated in the event, held April 24, from the Bradenton office of Home Depot along with 27 alumni from Xavier University, College of the Holy Cross, John Carroll University, Loyola University Chicago, Spring Hill College, Marquette University and the University of Detroit Mercy.

Volunteers conducted work projects at St. Martha’s Early Learning Center, Bethesda House and the offices of Catholic Charities of Sarasota County. Other projects also were done at St. Martha Parish, Bishop Nevins Academy and the Senior Friendship Center in Venice.

“This event fulfills an integral part of our shared Jesuit education: devotion to service,” said John McGruder, coordinator of the event and president of the Sarasota/Bradenton chapter of the Xavier University National Alumni Association.  “We just want to contribute in our own small way to making the world a better place,” he said.

The day began with a Mass at St. Martha’s Church and then volunteers worked throughout the morning at their assigned projects. The day concluded with a picnic at Twin Lakes Park.

“This is the first alumni event that really sparked my interest,” said Michelle Andrew, an alumnus from College of the Holy Cross. Michelle’s three daughters, Caitlin, Brooke and Jessica, and her husband, Don, also came along to paint and hang new shelves at Bethesda House. “I have been looking for a service project that the whole family could be involved in,” she said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity that this group of volunteers has given us,” said Derek Fabien, program director of Bethesda House. “We have been longing to make some improvements to the physical structure of our facility so we can deliver better services to our clients,” he said.

New shelving was installed at Bethesda House, an AIDS/HIV community center, so clients can experience an improved library system that supplies books, videos and pamphlets. Additional shelving also added more storage space for the food pantry. “The volunteers painted the walls a lighter shade which really brightens up the place,” said Fabien.

Kathy Wade, who helped plan the project, also is an alumnus of the College of the Holy Cross and was excited about participating in Jesuit Service Day. “When I was in college there were always opportunities to volunteer because it was part of our education,” she said. “But since I have been out of college it has been more difficult to find this type of service for the community.”

Wade said College of the Holy Cross donated money toward the event along with Xavier University and University of Detroit Mercy. Home Depot and Glidden Paint supplied $4,000 worth of materials.

This is the first year for the Sarasota/Bradenton Jesuit Service Day. Xavier University sponsors a local service day in Cincinnati, and Marquette University and University of Loyola New Orleans both have a national service day. “What is unique about our effort is that since the Sarasota/Bradenton area has a small representation of alumni from each school, we had to pool our efforts together from several Jesuit institutions,” said McGruder.

McGruder hopes to make the Jesuit Service Day an annual local event and plans to involve more Jesuit colleges and universities. “There are a number of reasons for wanting to do this project, not the least of which is the need,” he said. “Although we live in a wonderful area, the need for assistance outstrips available resources. Of course this is not a unique situation, but ours is one in which the extremes are more evident which I believe gives us greater obligation and opportunity to bring about change.”

For more information about Jesuit Service Day, contact John McGruder at (941) 953-6541. For more information about Catholic Charities of Sarasota County, call (941) 379-5119.

Photo #1: Home Depot volunteers Jake Shuffstall (left), Cedric Lemorin and Richard Robertson load mulch into a truck to replenish the landscaping at St. Martha’s Early Learning Center, St. Martha’s Church and Bishop Nevins Academy as part of Jesuit Service Day.

Photo #2: College of the Holy Cross alumni Michelle Andrew and her three daughters Brooke (left), Caitlin (right) and Jessica (front) participate in Jesuit Service Day by scraping and painting Bethesda House.