Students 'make a difference' for those in need
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
As the economic downturn continues to impact the lives of families nationwide, students from the schools of the Diocese of Trenton have pitched in to help those who are most in need.
In observance of the 18th annual “Make A Difference Day” Oct. 25, students from 20 diocesan schools worked to raise money and to collect food, clothing and supplies for Project PAUL, a material needs assistance center located in Keansburg that provides help to more than 1,500 struggling individuals a week.
Held each year on the fourth Sunday of October, Make A Difference Day is a national celebration of service to others.
While this is the second consecutive year that the schools of the diocese have worked to benefit Project PAUL on Make A Difference Day, the aid is especially needed this year, said Lionel Menard, executive director.
“With the economy the way it is this year, we’ve had a 30 percent increase in the number of people needing help and it is only going to get worse,” Menard said.
“We’ve had people coming in that we haven’t seen in 10 or 15 years, and all of a sudden they have to come back,” he added. “There are a lot more people unemployed so there are more people looking for help.”
During the month of October, students collected various items for Project PAUL, including hundreds of articles of clothing and food and thousands of diapers to be given to single mothers, Menard said. The schools also raised more than $3,500 through the “Deeds for Dollars” program, in which students performed good deeds for others in exchange for a dollar to donate to Project PAUL.
On Make A Difference Day, a group of 30 students spent more than two hours at Project PAUL sorting the donated items, Menard said. The students represented 12 of the schools that participated, he added, and donations are still being collected from the remaining eight schools.
Mother Teresa Regional School, Atlantic Highlands, was one of several schools to send a group of students to Project PAUL. Principal Melissa Molloy, who herself pledged $1 for each student who brought in a can of food for the collection, said the experience of earning money for charity helped students to learn a valuable lesson.
“When we ask the kids to do a deed to get a dollar to be able to then turn that dollar over to Project PAUL, I think it has much more meaning and significance than simply taking a can of food out of the pantry and turning it in,” she said.
“To actually have to make your brother’s bed or take out the garbage or set the table to earn that money, and then to turn it over to someone else, it just has much more of an impact on them.”
Menard added that without the help of the schools who participated, as well as the many other volunteers who give their time to Project PAUL, their work would not be possible.
“The volunteers are our backbone,” he said. “They are what make this place go.”
Founded in 1980 as a food pantry for St. Ann Parish, Keansburg, Project PAUL has grown to include a wide array of services for individuals in need of assistance. In 1985, the organization was established as a separate non-profit agency while continuing to lease its facilities from the parish.
In addition to providing material needs, Project PAUL offers financial assistance to help families pay their rent and utilities and has an educational support program for single mothers attending college. They also operate a thrift store, with the proceeds being used to purchase food and supplies for families in need.
Developed last year as part of the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools marketing initiative, Deeds for Dollars provided an opportunity for students to put the Gospel values they were being taught into positive action that engaged the public and served a real need. The incentive program assigns a monetary value to the good deeds performed by participating students. This year, the value of 5,730 students’ good deeds amounted to an estimated $3,500 in pledges, which was then presented to Project PAUL Oct. 25 by 30 student representatives of the project.
The 30 students also helped to sort items collected by the participating schools, such as toiletries, clothing items and food.
[[In-content Ad]]Related Stories
Monday, September 23, 2024
E-Editions
Events
As the economic downturn continues to impact the lives of families nationwide, students from the schools of the Diocese of Trenton have pitched in to help those who are most in need.
In observance of the 18th annual “Make A Difference Day” Oct. 25, students from 20 diocesan schools worked to raise money and to collect food, clothing and supplies for Project PAUL, a material needs assistance center located in Keansburg that provides help to more than 1,500 struggling individuals a week.
Held each year on the fourth Sunday of October, Make A Difference Day is a national celebration of service to others.
While this is the second consecutive year that the schools of the diocese have worked to benefit Project PAUL on Make A Difference Day, the aid is especially needed this year, said Lionel Menard, executive director.
“With the economy the way it is this year, we’ve had a 30 percent increase in the number of people needing help and it is only going to get worse,” Menard said.
“We’ve had people coming in that we haven’t seen in 10 or 15 years, and all of a sudden they have to come back,” he added. “There are a lot more people unemployed so there are more people looking for help.”
During the month of October, students collected various items for Project PAUL, including hundreds of articles of clothing and food and thousands of diapers to be given to single mothers, Menard said. The schools also raised more than $3,500 through the “Deeds for Dollars” program, in which students performed good deeds for others in exchange for a dollar to donate to Project PAUL.
On Make A Difference Day, a group of 30 students spent more than two hours at Project PAUL sorting the donated items, Menard said. The students represented 12 of the schools that participated, he added, and donations are still being collected from the remaining eight schools.
Mother Teresa Regional School, Atlantic Highlands, was one of several schools to send a group of students to Project PAUL. Principal Melissa Molloy, who herself pledged $1 for each student who brought in a can of food for the collection, said the experience of earning money for charity helped students to learn a valuable lesson.
“When we ask the kids to do a deed to get a dollar to be able to then turn that dollar over to Project PAUL, I think it has much more meaning and significance than simply taking a can of food out of the pantry and turning it in,” she said.
“To actually have to make your brother’s bed or take out the garbage or set the table to earn that money, and then to turn it over to someone else, it just has much more of an impact on them.”
Menard added that without the help of the schools who participated, as well as the many other volunteers who give their time to Project PAUL, their work would not be possible.
“The volunteers are our backbone,” he said. “They are what make this place go.”
Founded in 1980 as a food pantry for St. Ann Parish, Keansburg, Project PAUL has grown to include a wide array of services for individuals in need of assistance. In 1985, the organization was established as a separate non-profit agency while continuing to lease its facilities from the parish.
In addition to providing material needs, Project PAUL offers financial assistance to help families pay their rent and utilities and has an educational support program for single mothers attending college. They also operate a thrift store, with the proceeds being used to purchase food and supplies for families in need.
Developed last year as part of the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools marketing initiative, Deeds for Dollars provided an opportunity for students to put the Gospel values they were being taught into positive action that engaged the public and served a real need. The incentive program assigns a monetary value to the good deeds performed by participating students. This year, the value of 5,730 students’ good deeds amounted to an estimated $3,500 in pledges, which was then presented to Project PAUL Oct. 25 by 30 student representatives of the project.
The 30 students also helped to sort items collected by the participating schools, such as toiletries, clothing items and food.
[[In-content Ad]]