Outreach is a pillar of a Holy Angels education, so there was no doubt Service Day would continue this spring, despite the COVID-19 outbreak.
School official said Service Day organizers Kathy Sylvester and Maryanne Miloscia from AHA Campus Ministry report that members of the Holy Angels community extended themselves to others in some safe and creative ways while social distancing regulations remain in effect.
According to officials, on May 6, members of the Holy Angels community chose to:
• Write letters to their representatives to express their views on today’s critical issues.
• Grocery shop for elderly family members and visit outdoors at a safe distance.
• Craft reusable cloth facemasks for family and friends.
• Collect books for young students in need.
• Make donations to support local food pantries.
• Contribute funds toward meals for medical workers.
• Help neighbors with their gardening.
• Create a mini-herb garden as a gift.
• Host a video chat with a loved one who is undergoing chemotherapy.
“Service is an important part of who we are as Angels,” Sylvester and Miloscia agreed.
Before the 2020 Service Day observance, Miloscia and Sylvester provided a thoughtful list of ideas participants could complete from the safety of their homes.
Recommendations included writing a letter of appreciation to a School Sister of Notre Dame who is living in long-term care, donating to a charity of choice, contacting a senior resident or someone living alone, and planting something in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.
Service Day participants were also urged to follow the School Sisters’ lead by being advocates for social justice.
Members of the AHA community were encouraged to write to their representatives about topics such as stopping Haitian deportations, opposing EPA rollbacks and deregulation, supporting bipartisan climate change legislation, and urging Congress to protect detained immigrants and support non-profits.
Although the school community was not able to assemble and engage in environmental cleanups and other traditional volunteer projects, Service Day 2020 demonstrated the dedication of the individuals who comprise the Holy Angels family.