St. Andrew Students Offer Prayers and Assistance to Victims of Haitian Earthquake

Written by Megan
St. Andrew Catholic School
Posted on February 2, 2010

St. Andrew Catholic School has many Haitian students and families suffering the loss of their family members in the tragic earthquake. The entire community is extremely aware of the worries and sadness of these families and is reaching out to them in many ways.

Every morning, they pray for the Haitians so that they may find a way through their troubles and get back on their feet. St. Andrew students helped Haiti by fundraising over $300. This is just one of the many ways St. Andrew Catholic School helps the community around them and they are proud to do it.

St. Andrew School is uplifting the families suffering in sadness and supporting Haiti in their time of financial need.

 

 

Bishop Grady Villas is a Place for Development, Faith and Fun

Written by Veronica
Holy Redeemer Catholic School
Posted on January 26, 2010Bishop Grady Villas. It is more than just a place or home for the mentally challenged, it is a place where residents can find hope, love, and care.

Bishop Grady Villas was founded to assist with the development of the students who graduated from Morning Star School. The students needed someone to teach them about life and hardships they could encounter. They needed someone to help them develop in a better way. That is what Bishop Grady Villas is here to do.

At Bishop Grady Villas each resident gets a place of their own. They share a home with about eight other residents but each of them gets their own room. So if they would like to socialize they could all be in the living room but if someone would like to be alone they would just have to go to their room. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at specific times during the day and activities are set up for the residents.

Residents can develop their mental abilities at Bishop Grady Villas by going to one of the many workshops, which include a plant nursery and a woodshop. Residents are encouraged to go out and find a job. They are taught how to deal with jobs by the job coach Desi. Bishop Grady Villas is basically a place where the mentally challenged are preparing to deal with the life that awaits them.

It is also a place of faith. It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic or not you are welcome at Bishop Grady Villas. The Catholics are taken to Mass to St. Thomas Aquinas. They also plan activities. For example, some seminarians come over during summer to help organize activities for the residents. If you are not Catholic you are free to practice your religion without being disturbed. They respect each and every one of the residents’ beliefs.

Bishop Grady Villas is a place for wellness. Residents can walk around the six acres of Florida’s natural habitat. Residents’ health plans are coordinated by their families. A hospital is nearby in case of an emergency. Residents are also encouraged to do some exercise of their own.

Family members are more than welcome at Bishop Grady Villas. They can either come and be there with residents or take the residents out somewhere. No overnight visitors are allowed but they are welcome anytime during the day. Friends and family can join in meals or activities. They can also take residents out to a store or a place residents want to go.

Bishop Grady Villas is a home, a place for development, a place of faith, a place for wellness, and a place for family involvement.

 

 

Helping Haitians is “Perfect Way to Follow Jesus’ Teachings”

Written by Erik
Holy Family Catholic School
Posted on January 27, 2010

A disciple of Christ is someone who tries to follow His teachings. Jesus Christ taught us how to live correctly. We should follow Him the way He wants us to. Jesus told us to love your neighbor as yourself. By helping and serving someone in need, you are loving your neighbor. At this time, our neighbor we need to help the most are our brothers and sisters in Haiti that are suffering tremendously after the devastating earthquake they just experienced.

I feel it is important to give to those who are less fortunate than us. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and shelter the homeless are just some of the hundreds of teachings Jesus gave us. Helping the people from Haiti is a perfect way to follow Jesus’ teachings.

There are many people who exemplify the meaning of a disciple of Christ. One of them is Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She was a remarkable human being who dedicated her life to help the poor, sick, and dying people of Calcutta, India. She always wanted to ease the suffering of others. If we all follow Mother Teresa’s inspiring example and put aside our differences, we could work together to help out all the earthquake survivors in Haiti and act as a true disciple of Christ.

 

St. Margaret Mary Catholic School Students Help Victims of Haitian Earthquake

Written by Allison
St. Margaret Mary Catholic School
Posted on January 14, 2010

A magnitude 7 earthquake would devastate just about any city. However, when that city is located in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, the level of devastation is essentially unparallel to that of any other. This incomprehensible situation became reality late January 12, 2010, when a major earthquake struck the impoverished nation of Haiti, near its capital Port-au-Prince. This is a place with next to no government, no shelters, and no Coalitions for the Homeless. A place where in some cases, one’s only meal may be a handful of mud and salt.

For years, the school and parish of St. Margaret Mary have been working to change that, even if by just a little. The Haiti Outreach program has led numerous efforts to help the people of Haiti. The students at St. Margaret Mary have walked to school in solidarity with the children in Haiti and they have participated in fundraisers, such as a rice and beans lunch to benefit school children in Haiti and provide them nutritious meals.

On Thursday, January 14, 2010, a rice and beans lunch will be served during school at St. Margaret Mary with full proceeds going towards earthquake relief. It is not until you see the fallen buildings of Haiti and the people crying for their loved ones lost in the debris, that the full effect hits you and you realize that no matter what grade you got on yesterday’s math quiz, or how late you had to work last night, you are blessed… blessed with more than you probably ever thought, blessed with so much. And when you have so much, the only thing left to do is give.