become a person for others.
St Joseph High School students develop a lifelong love of serving those in need and giving generously of their time and unique gifts.
Service at St Joseph High School
One of the goals at St Joseph High School is to make students more aware of the needs of others and of our shared responsibility to help those in need. We take our motto of “Privilege and Responsibility” very seriously, recognizing and embracing the call to imitate Jesus. We strive to build a culture of service where helping those in need is more of a joy than a requirement.
At St Joseph High School, all students are required to reach a specific number of community service hours each year. Freshmen must earn 10 hours, sophomores 15, juniors 20, and seniors must earn 25 service hours.
St Joseph High School students come to discover a true love of service. By the time they graduate, they view service not as a requirement but as a civic responsibility to their communities - locally and globally.
“St Joes has taught me to give back to the community through faith and service. That's exactly what I've learned to do and will continue to do throughout my life."
~ Nate Moore '23.
Community Service Guidelines
What Counts for Service?
- Freshmen and sophomores are permitted to fulfill their service requirements through serving at St Joseph High School events or within their own communities, including churches, middle schools, or towns. Freshmen and sophomore are also encouraged to log hours in service to the hungry, homeless, sick, elderly, disabled, economically disadvantaged, or an organization that directly supports those causes.
- Juniors and Seniors are asked to go beyond serving our immediate community and directly confront social injustice in a deeper way. They are encouraged to perform acts of service that assist the hungry, homeless, sick, elderly, disabled, economically disadvantaged, or an organization that directly supports those causes.
General Guidelines
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The following efforts are not considered to be service:
- Volunteering at for-profit businesses
- Any house, yard work, or babysitting done for family, friends, or neighbors
- Anything in which payment is received, or doing work you would normally be paid for but not accepting pay
- Service should not be done through organizations that are contrary to the mission and beliefs of St Joseph High School
Meet our Campus Ministry Director
Mr. Jordan Smith graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in MA with a dual degree in Classics and Theology. Upon graduation, he taught at Notre Dame High School in West Haven, CT where he developed their Kairos Retreat Program in addition to grade level retreats and a student-led retreat program called BRO (Brothers Reaching Others).
His training by the Jesuits at Holy Cross helped him realize that his work in service to others is - always - the most rewarding.
School Wide Community Service Projects
In addition to their typical service hours, all students and families are encouraged to take part in school-wide community service efforts. These efforts vary from year to year (for example: St Joes held a collection for Puerto Rico immediately after Hurricane Maria in 2017), but typically, students can expect to find:
- A Thanksgiving Food Drive
- A Winter Coat/Accessories Drive
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Midnight Runs for the homeless in our local communities
- Our annual Advent Giving Tree - delivering Christmas gifts to children at The Caroline House and Blessing Bags to the Homeless
- Charity Dress Down Days
- Veteran's Day Assembly Drive
- And many more!
