This year, Seton Home volunteered frequently at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, where they packaged food for those in the Chicagoland area struggling with food insecurity.  They also packaged food for the international hunger relief charity, Feed My Starving Children. They hand packed rice, soy, dried vegetables, and a blend of vitamins and minerals into bags, which were then sealed, boxed, placed on pallets, and shipped to the children around the world.  When community service takes place at these locations, the girls like to set goals and see how many meals they can pack in a visit and strive to either meet or exceed that amount on the next visit.

Throughout 2023, the young women of Walgreen Home participated in a number of community service activities.

Walgreen Home volunteered at Feed My Starving Children twice, where the girls packed food for children living in developing countries. In addition, they volunteered at the Bike Ridge event in the township of Evanston, IL. The girls helped with face painting and tattoos, giving out books to younger children, making buttons, and other activities.

Lastly, they volunteered for a clean-up and beautification project in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. All these opportunities to serve within their community were enriching and time well spent.

In 2023, Couderc Home was challenged to complete more service than the previous year.

An old partnership with Ronald McDonald House was renewed and they eagerly served dinner to the families so they could focus on caring for their children who were in a nearby hospital. And new partnerships were established with The Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park, IL and the Pilsen Food Pantry in Chicago. At both locations, the youth sorted and organized donations for those in need.

Bernardin Home contributed over 42 hours of community service this year. The coworkers and young women utilized their skills and learned new ones, all while connecting with others in the community. They participated in Mercy Home’s Habitat for Humanity trip to North Carolina this summer, while some of our young ladies also passed out free meals to the homeless right here in Chicago. Bernardin Home looks forward to continuing our efforts to give back to the community in 2024.

This year, the young men of Bosco Home attended a garden clean up at a retirement facility. They pulled weeds, planted flowers, and talked with residents to brighten their day. In a word, the experience was fruitful. The boys were able to interact with and learn from another generation they normally wouldn’t have otherwise.

In addition, Bosco Home created care packages for the children and families residing at the Ronald McDonald House during the holiday season. Bosco reflected on what it means to have good health and their gratitude for good health. The boys shared that it felt gratifying to help others who were experiencing a difficult time, especially during the holidays.

The young men of Speh Home collaborated to find ways to demonstrate their gratitude to all the people in their lives. They started by crafting Thanksgiving cards for program coworkers, and Christmas cards for the tutors who help them with homework after school.

The boys have also been creating words of affirmation to hand out to Mercy Home coworkers and youth in other departments, hoping to spread some holiday cheer. The spirit of thankfulness and kindness will continue in Speh throughout the season while the boys continue to perform acts of kindness for others.

One of the simplest ways to gain satisfaction from this life is to dedicate time to those in need. In Mahoney Home, they teach our young men that community service offers an array of opportunities to utilize talents, practice humility, and help those in need of support.

On October 21, Mahoney left Mercy Home on a mission to serve. Our young men and coworkers volunteered at the Roosevelt Square Farm, located just a little over a mile away from Mercy.

Roosevelt Square Farm is a youth-led farm. The youth working there learn to plan, prep, plant, grow, harvest, and sell all of their products at this site. During the three-hour visit at the farm, our boys learned how to plant and care for vegetables and herbs, which consisted of pulling weeds the traditional way. The instructor educated the boys on organic vegetables versus nonorganic.

Over the past few months, Cooke Home had the pleasure of giving back to our community in various ways. A few of those ways were creating get-well cards for hospitalized children that will be mailed to ChicagoCares.org, making hygiene bags for unhoused people to be handed out in the community, and participating in the Mercy Home disability awareness scavenger hunt.

In 2023, Sheil Home has volunteered at a few different places both individually and as a group. Most recently, Sheil volunteered at the Pilsen Food Pantry helping prep the pantry for those who come Monday through Friday seeking food assistance. Although it was early, the young men worked diligently and carefully with the produce and other groceries in order to get them ready. The boys enjoyed interacting with the other volunteers and organizers. Afterwards, the boys processed the hard work they put in, and discussed the importance of organizations like Pilsen Food Pantry.