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Service Opportunities Within St. Louis Parish Community
The following opportunities are coordinated with the St. Louis CYM Office and are considered in-parish service:
- CLARKSVILLE PICNIC! Saturday, June 24. Many opportunities:
- CYM's Dunking Booth! Sign up here.
- Other Game Booths: Sign up here.
- Picnic Set-up Service Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Friday! Sign up here.
- Lunches for People who are Homeless (ongoing)
St. Louis CYM collects pre-made bagged lunches which will be delivered to Grassroots and Our Daily Bread. Each bag should contain: PB&J sandwich, snack item such as chips or granola bar, and a water bottle. Drop off at the maintenance barn (at church parking lot). NEXT COLLECTION: TBD.
Contact Luisa if interested: lpalting@stlouisparish.org or (410) 531-6668 ext. 272.
- Urban Hunger Project (ongoing)
Serve the hungry directly in West Baltimore with the Urban Hunger Project organization. Coordinated by CYM. We meet at St. Louis and drive in the St. Louis Activity Bus together. NEXT DATES: TBD. Requires waiver. Contact Luisa if interested: lpalting@stlouisparish.org or (410) 531-6668 ext 272.
- Italian Dinner Weekend - TBD 2024. CYM's biggest fundraising and community-building event of the year!
- Vacation Bible School || July 31- August 4, 2023. Come to the volunteer information meeting on January 29 at 10am in Rm 301-302 in St. Louis Pastoral Center. CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER HERE.
Questions, contact Jane Higgins at jhiggins@stlouisparish.org or (410) 531-6688.
** NOTE: Anyone in a leadership position working with minors is required to be child-protection certified by the Archdiocese. (This is called Worthy of the Call for Teens and VIRTUS for Adults.) CYM conducts Worthy of the Call training for teens throughout the year. Sign up here for spring training sessions (ages 14-17).**
Questions, contact MC Tenaglia at mctenaglia@stlouisparish.org or (410) 531-6668 ext. 270.
Service Opportunities Outside of St. Louis
The following opportunities require parent presence or validation as it is outside of CYM’s purview:
- Columbia Pregnancy Center | 410-730-3223 Opportunities vary but may include collecting or organizing donations in their boutique.
- Mary's Home | 443-574-7746 a maternity home in Howard County for single mothers with unplanned pregnancies. They are seeking "Mommy's Helpers" to spend time with and help care for the baby while mothers take time to work on educational, occupational and personal goals. Help is needed after school, evenings and weekends based on moms' individual needs. Parental supervision or permission required for those under 18. This service is outside of CYM's purview.
- Our Daily Bread | 410-659-4000 | You may also volunteer for Our Daily Bread via St. Louis Chicken Baking Ministry: https://www.stlouisparish.org/outreach/our-daily-bread/
- Little Portion Farm | (443) 585-8005
- Beans & Bread | 410-732-1891
- Elizabeth House | 301-776-9296
- Franciscan Center | 410-467-5340
- Paul’s Place | 410-625-0775
- Maryland Food Bank | 410-737-8282
- International Rescue Committee | 410 327 1885 ext. 173
- JusticeworX (Summer service in NJ) | 609-498-6216
- Know of a worthwhile service organization to include here? Please contact Luisa at lpalting@stlouisparish.org.
Frequently Asked Questions about Confirmation Service
Q. If I did service before starting the Confirmation process, can I count it towards Confirmation service hours?
A. We ask that candidates do service hours during the Confirmation preparation period (Jan-Sept of this year) so that they can reflect on why the service is intentional preparation for Confirmation -- Why is it important? How did they grow in faith through this service? How is it bearing witness to the Gospel? In addition, we ask that outside-parish hours are in direct service to a vulnerable community so it most closely correlates with the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Q. Do I need to have their service supervisor sign off on their form?
A. There is no need to have supervisor signature to document hours worked. Parents should verify and sign off that the hours stated are accurate. The most important part is honest and intentional service in preparation for the sacrament.
Q. Why is it important to do in-parish hours?
A. The saying "charity begins at home" tells us that love begins with those nearest to us. Our parish is our home base so it's important to give back here, in addition to the wider community.
Q. Why 10 hours?
A. We ask that 5 hours are in-parish, and 5 hours serve the wider community. We consider 5 hours the minimal time to reflect on an experience prayerfully, and hopefully discover a service you can be passionate about doing more of in the future.
Q. Why so many forms?!
A. We'd like to know that you 1) did the service we asked of you, and 2) know how your service experience impacted your faith journey towards Confirmation. Please turn in your service reflection (by your first class in September). Be ready to answer these questions:
- What did you do at St. Louis and how did you grow in faith through this experience? (Was there a particular person or situation that impacted you?)
- What did you do to serve the wider community and how did you grow in faith through this experience? (Was there a particular person or situation that impacted you?) Can you correlate this with a Corporal Work of Mercy?
- Why do you think Service is a necessary component for Confirmation prep?
This page will be updated periodically with service opportunities that are available to high school students and their families. Please let the CYM Office know if you are aware of something that could be shared on this page!
Confirmation students: Service is a component of your Confirmation prep. 5 hours are to be spent on service to a marginalized population and 5 hours are to be spent serving at St. Louis Parish. You are to provide a reflection when you are finished.