St. Jerome School

5580 Thornburn St.

Los Angeles, CA 90045

SJS CHRISTIAN SERVICE PROGRAM

8^th Grade

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)

The St. Jerome Christian Service Program is designed to encourage your growth as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.  You will be trained to demonstrate positive leadership skills and qualities that are used for community service and social justice.  Working side by side with members of various organizations, you will “wash the feet” of those in need as you follow the example of love set by Jesus in the many opportunities you have to serve.

The service hour requirement for the 8^th grade is 20 hours / year.  Completion is awarded with participation in the 8^th grade Retreat in June.  The hours must be completed as stated below:

• 1^st Trimester – 7 hours
• 2^nd Trimester – 7 hours
• 3^rd Trimester – 6 hours

AT LEAST HALF OF YOUR HOURS MUST BE PERFORMED OFFSITE (not at St. Jerome)

*NOTE:  You can complete all hours before the trimester deadlines.  (For example – if 20 hours are completed in the summer or during 1^st trimester, no additional hours are required)

Specific deadlines will be set by the Homeroom teacher.  The procedure for completion and verification of hours must be followed in order to receive credit and points for Religion class each trimester.

The Christian Service Program is guided by the 7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching.  These focus on specific areas of concern in the community and world at large, such as the poor and vulnerable, the environment, and the life and dignity of the human person.  All approved projects must meet the following requirements:

• Affiliation with a non-profit/charitable organization, school, or church
• Service to care for the environment or for a group of people in need

PROCEDURE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SERVICE HOUR CREDIT:

1. Attend an approved Christian Service project, serve well and have fun!
2. Print out a Service Evaluation Form from Mrs. Dyogi’s 7^th grade Blog (under “Christian Service Program” – “CHRISTIAN SERVICE FORM”)
3. Fill out ALL the appropriate information on the top of the form, including Parent/Guardian Signature + have your Supervisor fill out the evaluation after your project.
4. Write a 10-sentence reflection on your experience at the service project.  Unacceptable responses that are too short or lacking substance will be returned and must be redone for credit.
5. Turn in your Service Evaluation Form to Mrs. Dyogi no later than one month after the date of your service.

We thank you for your service to your brothers and sisters in need, and for making a difference in the world around you.  Enjoy your work for the Lord!

Examples of approved Christian Service projects (according to the 7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching):

LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

• Visits to / Christmas caroling at convalescent homes
• March for Life / Pro-life events (promoting the protection of unborn children)
• Volunteer in a program that assists pregnant women
• Volunteer at an adult day care center

CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND PARTICIPATION

• Parish activities (i.e., Soup night, Parish picnic, Pancake breakfast, etc.)

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Active involvement with CCD students to promote quality Catholic education

OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE

• Soup kitchen service / food distribution to the poor
• Organized food and clothing drives
• Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer
• AIDS Walk
• March of Dimes WalkAmerica for the prevention of birth defects

THE DIGNITY OF WORK AND THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS

• Volunteering in programs that support the rights of migrant farmworkers

SOLIDARITY

• Volunteer for events sponsored by minority groups that promote cultural awareness
• Support Catholic Relief Services’ Operation Rice Bowl during the Advent and Lenten seasons
• Big Brother/Big Sister, Boys/Girls Club activities

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION

• Heal the Bay Beach Clean-up
• Westchester Community Clean-up
• Habitat restoration (i.e., Torrance Madrona Marsh)
• Participation in an organized recycling program
• Animal shelter / Pet adoption programs

Examples of hours that are NOT approved for the Christian Service program:

• play leading during lunch recess
• volunteering for sports events (i.e., refereeing and scoreboard management)
• helping relatives / neighbors do chores or errands
• filing / organizing in a classroom or office
• altar serving
• tutoring
• unsupervised personal projects

While we do encourage our SJS Spartans to help others in a variety of ways and hope that they would continue to perform these acts of kindness, our focus for the program is more geared towards social justice involvement so that they grow more aware of issues that face our greater community.

For any questions, please contact Mrs. Dyogi mdyogisjs@yahoo.com or Mr. Mallen mallensjs@yahoo.com

              “Educating Christian Leaders for Our World”