Stepinac Students to Pack & Deliver Busload of Items to Homeless

As the holidays approach, Stepinac High School’s tradition of students generously supporting a wide range of community causes to help those in need is well underway.

On Friday, December 15, about 40 students will pack a bus with food including sandwiches and hot chocolate, winter clothing and personal hygiene products items donated by Stepinac families and head to New York City where they will distribute the items to homeless individuals.

Known as the Jesus Run, the initiative is one of several runs that the school’s Campus Ministry program organizes each year. However, with the onset of cold weather, the December drive takes on more urgency to bring warmth and nourishment to the homeless.

In keeping with Stepinac’s Roman Catholic tradition, service to the community to help make a difference in the lives of those in need is a key component of the Campus Ministry program. In addition to Jesus Runs, students are encouraged to volunteer their time to hospitals, nursing homes and soup kitchens.

The Jesus Run is just one of several drives that students and their families are undertaking before the Christmas vacation break begins. But, when students return on January 3, they will resume their efforts on behalf of the school’s biggest food drive of all, known as the annual SOUPer Bowl. It began in late October with students started collecting and delivering cans of food items to help feed the hungry and homeless.

As in past Souper Bowl campaigns, if the students achieve the massive goal of collecting 25,000 food items, they will be granted a day off from school following Super Bowl Sunday, February 4.

Rev. Thomas Collins (Class of ’79), Stepinac President, began the SOUPer Bowl challenge six years ago to address the acute need to replenish the food pantries and soup kitchens in the community after the holidays when the level of donations declines.

About Archbishop Stepinac High School

The mission of Archbishop Stepinac High School is to offer young men of the Archdiocese of New York a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that is unique to the Stepinac experience. For more information, visit www.Stepinac.org.