As one of this year’s Senior Service Events scheduled through Cor Jesu Academy’s Faith Formation Office, 13 CJ seniors and five adults embarked on their journey the morning of March 31 to help tornado-ravaged Joplin, MO, recover from the devastating tornado last year. Working through AmeriCorps, the Cor Jesu group spent a hot afternoon hauling debris – twisted sheet metal, fallen trees, insulation and trash – from a wooded residential lot. The group joined the ranks of thousands of volunteers who continue to remember and reach out to those with an ongoing need for help. It was indeed a privilege to live Cor Jesu’s mission of “sharing the love of the heart of Christ” through this experience of hard labor for others.
“It was a very humbling experience and made us all realize how blessed we are to be able to have a roof over our heads,” said Maria Merlo ’12. “Working together as a CJ community to help the Joplin community, we really saw God working through others.”
“Our trip to Joplin was incredible,” said Sarah Bess ’12. “It was devastating to see all the damage done by the tornado, but I felt like we made a huge difference by helping clean up. It was an amazing experience, and I hope I get the opportunity to go back!”
Caption:
Cor Jesu students Jori Herrmann ’12 (in for foreground) and Sarah Bess ’12 remove scrap metal from a site in Joplin, MO, on March 31.