Eighth-graders at Trinity Catholic Academy unload a delivery of food for the Christ the King Parish food pantry in April. Pilot photo/Wes Cipolla
Listen to this article now
BROCKTON -- On the sunny afternoon of April 26, the eighth-grade students at Trinity Catholic Academy in Brockton were positively giddy, smiling and laughing as they stepped outside the classroom. But this wasn't recess. The students were waiting for a truck from the Greater Boston Food Bank, carrying 3,000 pounds of nonperishable food headed for the food pantry at Christ the King Parish, adjacent to TCA's Upper Campus. For the last five years, TCA students have regularly volunteered to unload, stock, and organize truckloads of food for Christ the King's pantry.
"We talk a lot in religion class about social justice and helping everybody and making sure that everybody gives back," said TCA religion teacher and Campus Minister Andrea Hurm, "because that's what Jesus wants us to do. And these kids are so into their religion and their faith that they love helping others, and they love helping the church."
Since her students started volunteering at Christ the King, Hurm has noticed them wanting to help one another more, both in school and in the larger community. Many of her students also volunteer outside of school for organizations like the YMCA.
"They're a very service-oriented group," she said.
The Christ the King food pantry serves an average of 45 families each week. Most of the food comes from the Greater Boston Food Bank, with parishioners and TCA students donating the rest. Though some of the eighth graders seemed to struggle with the weight of the food boxes, they diligently hauled them off the truck and passed them to each other until the boxes made their way into the church. Three eighth graders -- Zariah Webster, Sanaii Lebrun, and Hayden Serrano -- were responsible for making sure all the canned goods in the parish garage were organized.
Chase Morant, an eighth grader who regularly leads the unloading effort, told The Pilot that volunteering has made him more humble.
"I like doing this because I like giving back to the community and especially the church," he said. "I know that the church can't run without us, so if we don't do it, then Ms. Donna's going to have to do it herself."
"Ms. Donna" is Donna Widener, a volunteer with the Christ the King Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society. She told The Pilot that the parish is "blessed" to have help from the students.
"Without them, we'd be doing it ourselves," she said. "They are a lot of help. A job that would take us an hour, they have it done in five minutes."