Uniting in mission, Chestnut Hill College students freely gave of their time on their last day before the start of the spring semester, to partner with students from Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Norwood Fontbonne Academy for the 3rd Annual SSJ Sponsored Works MLK Day of Service.
Service focused on helping support Kids Against Hunger (KAH), a non-profit humanitarian organization “with a mission to feed the hungry through food sharing, advocacy and community engagement.” According to their mission statement, KAH strives to fight hunger and food insecurity through meal packs providing “fully nutritious food to impoverished children, individuals, and families around the world and around the corner.”
Uniting in Prayer and Mission
The day began with a prayer service featuring reflections from students at all three schools. Faith Williams, an undergraduate cybersecurity major set to graduate in 2027, offered words on behalf of Chestnut Hill College. The theme of her talk: service as a means of showing empathy.
“There should be no negotiation on whether to feed children, clothe people experiencing homeless or to treat others with respect and kindness,” Williams said. “Dr. King says we must realize we aren’t so far removed from the injustices that happen in front of us. That is why it’s important to stand up for the values that would do good for society and lead to less harm…Being heard and standing up for yourself and others is what is important. So stay true to yourself and the values you hold. To be different is to be you. Without the things that make humans different we lose what it is to be an individual which is why differences, really diversity should be celebrated and not condemned.”
Williams noted that empathy starts by getting involved and showing care and concern for others, something the missions of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and Chestnut Hill College share. “It all starts with simple acts of service in your community or across the country, no matter how small or how large you perceive your service to be,” Williams added before finishing her reflection with a quote from King: “Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”
Achieving the Dream Together
Following the prayer service, students from Chestnut Hill College led a fairness activity with some of the younger students of NFA. The goal of the activity was to have the younger kids experience acts of unfairness through a ball toss where one student got to stand closer to the basket than another. The lesson itself was designed to show the importance of recognizing when inequality is present and how individuals can work together to correct acts of injustice when they occur. For the kids, the difference – and the message it conveyed – was evident, as once the ball toss was made equal, everyone had a better time and seemed to understand the purpose of the lesson.
“If there is something I want my children to learn today, it is kindness for others. In a world where there is a lot of chaos and a lot of hate, I want them to love others and reach out to others and be a helped,” said Sabrina Kibe 2015, alumna and current Montessori teacher at NFA.
Following the lesson and a quick lunch break, students from all three schools gathered for the service project. For Chestnut Hill College, this included the men and women’s basketball teams, who helped carry and set up the materials before taking part in the service as a team bonding exercise and a way to give back to the community.
“In my experience of doing this for three years, it’s been really exciting working with the kids, learning new things about them, and helping with the MLK Day,” expressed Marshall Baker, a senior business administration and management member, who has participated in the SSJ MLK Day of Service ever since the event began. For Baker, the service created another opportunity for the men’s basketball team to bond and “build chemistry on and off the court,” while doing something for the community.
It is estimated that over 12,000 meals were packed over the course of the service.
“The great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service,’” said Dr. Brian McCloskey, president of Chestnut Hill College. “Joining together for the third year in a row with our partners in mission, Norwood-Fontbonne Academy and Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Chestnut Hill College is honored and blessed not only to continue Dr. King’s legacy, but also that of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Our foundresses’ mission to serve the Dear Neighbor with an active and inclusive love, without distinction, informs the work we do on campus every day. Service is at the heart of who we are, and the hallmark of our values. We were proud to join NFA and the Mount, in Dr. King’s name, to spend meaningful, intentional time in community and to make a difference for children and families across the globe.”
-Marilee Gallagher 2014