Food Drive Volunteers Building Character, Serving Community

Students from Saints Cyril and Methodius Elementary School in Deer Park took to the pavement at Deer Park’s Super Stop & Shop this past weekend, collecting groceries and pantry items for Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Parish Outreach. The youngsters who volunteered for this collection activity were SSCM 1st through 8th graders who gave up their Sunday afternoon to take time out for others in need.

Local parishes and their volunteers are the lifeblood of parish social ministry on Long Island. Across Long Island, combined parish ministries include thousands of volunteers and serve as many as 75,000 people in need each year.

SSCM student volunteers have manned this program for a number of years and this past weekend, they were able to fill over eight shopping carts with nonperishable items like detergent and toiletries, as well as Thanksgiving goods such as canned vegetables, instant potatoes and gravy.

Outreach Programs such as the one at Saints Cyril and Methodius play an irreplaceable role for the communities in which they minister their services and have served millions throughout the years. Community Service is an overriding theme within the walls of Saints Cyril and Methodius Elementary School, as well. With the school offering a variety of volunteer opportunities to explore each year, SSCM students benefit from the experience they gain during these activities and their surrounding community benefits from their services, from activities such as this food drive to nursing home involvement and more. In working with these organizations, SSCM students are reminded of the importance of serving the community around them and they gain skills they can take with them for life.

On a wider scale, studies have shown that youth who volunteer just one hour or more a week are 50% less likely to abuse alcohol, cigarettes, become pregnant or engage in other destructive behavior. Furthermore, youth who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, and exercise their right to vote. When asked of their own volunteer experiences, teens have said that some of the benefits they’ve received from volunteering include: learning to respect others; learning to be helpful and kind; learning to understand people who are different; developing leadership skills, becoming more patient, and gaining a better understanding of citizenship.

For more information on Saints Cyril and Methodius Elementary School, visit www.sscmweb.org. To get involved or get your children involved in volunteer activity, start locally within your own community or check out free sites such as www.volunteermatch.org or www.idealist.org. As Mahatma Ghandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”