A Community Service Thank You

12/15/2023

Father Barrett

This week, the school completed two outreach projects. The first was the creation of approximately 40 care packages for active military men and women through Holidays for Heroes. The care packages were filled with a variety of items: beef jerky, candy, gum, playing cards, socks, stationery, notes of gratitude from our students and a card with Psalm 91 (known as the Soldier’s Psalm) on it. The Military Moms Prayer Group, started by Mrs. Linda Colontrelle and other mothers some twenty years ago, promote this wonderful project around the county. Some $1300 was raised for this effort by Patrick MacMullan’s Flag the Lawn project. Several classrooms committed to filling several boxes each. The Community Service Club spent time packing many of the boxes.

The second outreach project was the annual holiday gift drive. Our lower school families donated gifts to provide some holiday cheer for children in Okeechobee through the Guardians for New Futures organization. These children have undergone great distress in their lives. The middle and upper school families donated gifts to children through the Redlands Christian Migrant Association in Fellsmere. A total of nearly 200 gifts were given to those in need to spread some holiday hope to others.

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Along with the food drive benefiting Indian River County in late October, these two outreach initiatives have kept students and their families mindful of reaching out to those in need. The time and resources spent have shown a generous spirit by our students and their families. As a faith-based school, Saint Edward’s attempts to inculcate in its students the importance of serving others.

Father Barrett would like to thank students and families along with various worker bees to ensure the success of these projects: Jo Giesecke, Lori Van Roekel, Maria Klotter, Stephany Cooksey, Cathy Dritenbas, Doris Plym, Linda Colontrelle, Will Stribling and his team, Patrick MacMullan and the Community Service Club under the leadership of Grace Haller and AJ Munz.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

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