By Emily Clark
TRUMBULL—When a group of students at St. Joseph High School recently volunteered to pack bags for the homeless and needy for the holidays, one boy paused and held up a toothbrush.
“A toothbrush?” he asked. “Who wants a toothbrush for Christmas?” His friend next to him answered, “Somebody who doesn’t have one.”
That is the reality faced by so many in the Diocese of Bridgeport and throughout Fairfield County — a reality that the St. Joe’s community is trying to lessen this Christmas though their months-long Season of Giving program. The annual tradition brings together students, staff, parents and alumni to meet the needs of neighbors in neighboring towns, especially those served by Bridgeport’s shelters, churches and food pantries.
Deacon Jeff Font, director of campus ministry at St. Joe’s, said it’s hard to describe the love and support shown by all those involved.
“This is an incredible community,” he said. “From the sports teams to the drama club and the National Honor Society, everyone is helping out. I’m so proud of all that gets done.”
The three-part project began in late October with the Thanksgiving Food Drive. When it concluded on November 11, over $4,000 worth of food had been collected and donated to Blessed Sacrament Church for Father Joseph “Skip” Karcsinski to distribute to those in need.
According to Deacon Font, because of the economy and inflation, churches and shelters are seeing more and more housing instability. Realizing that people so close to them are going hungry makes a great impact on students, including St. Joe’s senior Danielle Haniph.
“Dropping off food at Blessed Sacrament was an eye-opening experience,” she said. “Even though (this) was a small act, it allowed me to see the importance of helping others. It was great to see how people, especially Father Skip, are actively working to make the community a better place.”
The Adopt-a-Family Gift Drive, which runs through mid-December, broke its own record this year, with 35 families from St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport benefitting from this generosity. Once athletes and club members received a family to “adopt,” they purchased gifts to meet those needs. The outpouring of support was so great, Deacon Font said, that they could have done even more.
St. Joe’s families had the chance to participate in the Season of giving as well, primarily through the Advent Giving Tree. After choosing a gift tag ornament, they helped fill a Bedtime Bag for children or Blessing Bag for adults, with items such as water bottles, socks, books and stuffed animals.
Like the gift drive for families, this project had such an overwhelming response that St. Joe’s had to refill the tree three times, putting them on target to deliver about 300 bags to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission just before Christmas.
Trish Daly, whose daughter is a sophomore at the school, said she had the chance to grab an ornament from the Giving Tree during parent/teacher conferences and was grateful that her family could participate.
“I love that students can visualize how much they’re helping others as the Blessing and Bedtime Bags fill up under the tree,” she said. “It’s a great way to come together as families to provide for others.”
Once the items are collected, students enjoy packing and delivering the bags, an opportunity that Deacon Font likes to tie to Scripture.
“We discuss the passage, ‘Love thy neighbor,’ and we ask the question, ‘How can we change the world one person at a time?’” he said. “We can change many lives, but the kids always say that we need to do more. When they see an empty pantry, and know that people have to be turned away, that’s what they remember.”
To embrace this dedication even further, Deacon Font has encouraged his students to model the saying, “God first. Others second. I am third.”
“If we follow this,” he said, “We’re doing God’s work to help others.”
And that’s what the students and families at St. Joe’s have done throughout their Season of Giving — one box of food, one stuffed animal, even one toothbrush at a time.
