As the deadline for service hours approaches, here are some ways you can help others and meet your requirements this winter.

Join a club
Many clubs offer ways of earning service hours year-round, all while having fun doing it! One of these clubs is Falcons Serve Others, which meets after school on the last Wednesday of each month. They do service projects, and members can get hours from going to meetings. Another example is the Knitting Club, which meets from 3:30-4:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Members make blankets for the Linus Project while earning service hours and having fun!

Contact Ms. Costanzo for information about the Falcons Serve Others.
Contact Mrs. Morrissey for information about the Knitting Club.

Falcons Serve Others Golden Hour Event
The Falcons Serve Others Club, which hosted a bake sale just last week to raise money for cancer, is hosting a Golden Hour event on Friday, February 10, from 6 PM to midnight. It is organized by six seniors: Kennedy Gaffney, Marina Lanning, Jordan Marshall, Christa Opoku-Asare, Mia Vasco, and Jessica Zuniga. Students who attend will earn six service hours, but you must register before January 25. There will be teach-ins from individuals whose lives have been affected by cancer and fun service opportunities with friends. Activities include decorating pennants, playing games, and making fleece pillowcases, ornaments, and joy boxes. Come hang out with your friends and bring joy to those undergoing treatment. Dinner will be served as a late-night treat!

Use this link or scan the QR Code below to sign up.

Campus Ministry
If you are a rising junior or senior, you can also become a part of our Campus Ministry Team, which strives to make our school a welcoming place and to serve others. Leaders can earn service hours by helping with retreats. Run by Mr. Abdo and Mr. Samuto, the Campus Ministry Team is the nicest group you’ll ever meet! The application for next year will be available in the spring.

If you are interested or want to learn more, you can email Mr. Abdo.

Keep an eye out for future service opportunities in the Daily Bulletin, such as club teach-ins. If you need more ideas, you can also look on Good Counsel’s website for a list of pre-approved service organizations. Most importantly, make sure to get your 20 hours done by April 24!

Crossing Paths: a Service Opportunity for Next Year
Campus Ministry is creating a new way to serve others and taking the program for a test run with Camp Min members. If successful, it will open to all GC students for service hour opportunities, hopefully next year. Crossing Paths is an opportunity to connect teens with senior volunteers through conversations and eating meals together. The goal of the program is to connect people from different generations and “gain knowledge and confidence to impact the community through civic engagement.” (eta poster) The program is run by a non-profit group called Empowering The Ages, or ETA for short. There are 1-2 hours of training and 8 hours of conversation in small groups. Students gain increased confidence, skills in talking and relating to older generations, and awareness of the broader community. The long-term benefits are even more significant: “increased civic engagement, self efficiency, and career-enhancing perspective on different age and cultural groups in the community.” Seniors understand better what life is like for us teens today, “decreased isolation,” and “increased drive and ability to advocate for youth needs in the community.” 81% of students would recommend the program, and 100% learned that adults care about their opinions. One student who participated said, “It was so much more fun than I had expected. I received a lot of wisdom from the seniors in my group. Something that surprised me was that I had something to give to them in return. I learned that many people see me and believe in me. That by just meeting someone I can make their day.”