Day of service connects students to Catholic community
TORONTO - 鱿鱼视频app 150 high school students took to the streets of Toronto to answer the annual A Catholic Call to Serve (ACCTS).
Toronto students called to 鈥楢CCTS鈥�
TORONTO - The Toronto Catholic District School Board, through its A Catholic Call To Service (ACCTS) program, is looking to expose students to the true meaning ofservice.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app a program in which our students get an opportunity to witness, in action, their faith,鈥� said Deb Gove, the board鱿鱼视频app secondary resource person forreligious education. 鈥淚t is a totally unbelievable experience for boththe students and the people (they help).鈥�
ACCTS, which launches Oct. 17, will see 35 Catholic secondary schools across the city send 10 students into the downtown region to help out at a varietyof social assistance agencies. These agencies include shelters, missions and food distribution groups.
On the day of service, students meet and are divided into groups before heading off to the appropriate location. Everything is wrapped up around 7 p.m.following a liturgical service. But there is more to it than just a single day of service.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app not just a day, it鱿鱼视频app a taste of what service is like,鈥� said Gove. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app life-long learning.鈥�
Lasting about 10 hours, the day does not count towards the students鈥� compulsory 40 hours of community service for graduation in the Catholic system. The focusis on teaching students about the importance of helping others without any personal gain.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e just out there looking after each other and not looking after those who need it we鈥檙e not doing what Jesus asked us to,鈥� said Gove.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app important that we take care of the poor and vulnerable.鈥� That鱿鱼视频app a message which stuck with Raffi Degralstanian after participating in ACCTS last fall.
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 actually had a good idea of what service was until I was actually there,鈥� said the Grade 12 Brebeuf College School student. 鈥淚t definitely opened my eyes to when people need service and how I should give it to them.鈥�
Degralstanian was one of the students who helped clean up Mary鱿鱼视频app House, a downtown women鱿鱼视频app shelter, after it suffered significant damage from a fire.
The experience touched him so much that when the opportunity to participate in this year鱿鱼视频app 15th anniversary program came, Degralstanian immediately wentonline to register.
鈥淚t was like wow, I did something here, I was able to contribute my physical being and apply it to this place and it made a difference,鈥� said Degralstanian.
鈥淕iving your sweat and being there physically doing something is much more meaningful than donating five or 10 bucks.鈥�
When the group of 10, which included Degralstanian, returned to Brebeuf the following school day from their various assignments they instantly becamepivotal figures in establishing the school鱿鱼视频app own Street Patrol program. Details of the school鱿鱼视频app program, which is independent from ACCTS, are still beingdeveloped, but the objective is feeding the homeless at least once a month during the school year.
鈥淚t speaks a lot to the meaningful experience they receive on this given day,鈥� said Robert Gregoris, Brebeuf chaplaincy team member.
鈥淔or a lot of them it is an eye opener. A lot of them don鈥檛 see the difficulties and the challenges that the human spirit goes through.鈥� Although Gregoris said he understands the importance of the day鱿鱼视频app message of unrewarded service he does think the students receive something in return 鈥� a closer connection with God.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app a real tangible way where young people get to experience the message of Christ and the face of Christ,鈥� said Gregoris.
鈥淚t gets to their heart, it gets to their soul.鈥�