Community Service
Community Service
Ethos
DELBARTON SCHOOL
Community Service Program
Delbarton School seeks to share the richness of its Catholic and Benedictine identity with all who share its life. Love of neighbor, grounded in the love of God, is a responsibility that we hold in common and is an expression of the Benedictine charism of hospitality, which welcomes everyone as Jesus Christ (The Rule of St. Benedict, 53:1). Love, expressed in compassion and reverence for other persons, overcomes the misery and injustice that so often surrounds us. It is the foundation of a true humanism which “acknowledges that man is made in the image of God and wants to help him live in a way consonant with that dignity” (Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love, 30). It is what inspires all people of good-will to work together to promote authentically human values.
Human beings, created in the image and likeness of God who is Love (1 John 4:16), are created for love and to love. It is only in receiving love that our value and dignity as persons is fully affirmed and respected. It is only in giving love, through making the sincere gift of ourselves, that we “find” ourselves - that we fulfill the meaning of our being and existence, discover true personal happiness, and contribute to genuine social progress. Community service, therefore, is seen as an essential part of Delbarton School’s mission to educate the whole person, and of its commitment to build a community of accountable persons who recognize their proper relationship to each other and to the larger community. Students, blessed with many gifts, learn that “more will be expected of a man to whom more has been entrusted” (The Rule of St. Benedict 2:30, Luke 12:48), and are provided with a wide range of opportunities to “give back.”
Delbarton fosters a “culture of service,” and expects every student to participate in various community service projects annually. Older students develop leadership skills by acting as coordinators for different service projects or by developing projects of their own. Students can volunteer for a specific project by contacting the Director of Mission and Ministry or that project’s student coordinators or faculty advisors. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about the various service opportunities and "sign up" for them at the Community Service Fair held soon after the beginning of the school year in September.
Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may truly be served as Christ, for He said, "I was sick and you visited me" (Matt 25:36), and, “What you did for one of these least brothers you did for Me" (Matt 25:40) ...All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for He Himself will say, "I was a stranger and you welcomed Me” (Matt 25:35) ...Great care and concern are to be shown in receiving the poor, because in them more particularly is Christ received...
~ The Rule of St. Benedict ~
Service Projects
Click on a service project Below to learn more.
- Abbey Altar Association
- A "Greener" Wave
- A-Team (Ushers)
- B.E.A.D.S.
- BETHLEHEM FARMS
- Blood Drive
- Bridges
- CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE
- EPOCH
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- FROM HOUSES TO HOMES
- INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY
- MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTORS
- NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
- NOAH’S FLOOD
- OPERATION SMILE
- THE PROCLAIMERS (Lectors)
- Raising Hope Walk
- RUN IT OUT 5K
- S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
- Solidarity Sleep Out
- THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
- WAVE 4 LIFE
Abbey Altar Association
A "Greener" Wave
Benedictine communities are imbued with a sense of respect for both human and natural resources. We seek to impart a sense of obligation to students (grades 7-12) to good stewardship. Combined with stability, stewardship should foster the desire in the community to hand on to the next generation a school in good order.
A-Team (Ushers)
B.E.A.D.S.
Selected students (grades 10-11) travel to Sub-Saharan Benedictine communities to provide assistance to them in their apostolates, especially their schools, catechizing of the poor, and assistance with the poor, the handicapped, and orphans. Students learn about Africa’s culture, politics, and economic and social needs, giving them a greater global perspective.
BETHLEHEM FARMS
Students (grades 9-12) participate in this week long service/retreat experience at one of these Catholic communities in rural West Virginia devoted to living out the Gospel message through the cornerstones of community, simplicity, prayer, and service. Delbarton students along with students from all over the country serve together with local residents to address substandard housing by providing home repair.
Blood Drive
Bridges
CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE
All students (7-12) participate in this annual collection of toys through the deaneries on a school day in December. Every deanery collects toys for a particular age and gender. The gifts go to children and families in need in partnership with Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese. Distribution occurs on the Sunday following the collection. The experience captures the spirit of the holiday season, as Delbarton students interact with the families and children as they lead them around the hall to choose their toys.
EPOCH
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
FROM HOUSES TO HOMES
Students embark on a week-long trip in which they stay in Antigua, Guatemala and travel to other towns to build a house for an impoverished family. Students interact with the family that they are serving, as well as people from the local community. There are opportunities to explore Guatemala's beauty, e.g. hiking a volcano.
INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY
MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTORS
Selected students (grades 10-12) form close relationships with middle school students through various activities – including middle school “nights out,” dances, and tailgates at middle school home sporting events. They also present on important topics at middle school meetings. Mentors work in teams to create, plan and run events. They will be guides, counselors, and teammates to the “Lifers” as they progress through their first years at Delbarton.
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
NOAH’S FLOOD
OPERATION SMILE
Students (grades 7-12) become part of Delbarton’s Operation Smile club, which seeks to raise awareness of the plight of those born with a cleft lip or cleft palate in poor communities throughout the world, as well as to inspire students to take action. Students participate in fun educational and fundraising activities. Students may also seek to become volunteers for Operation Smile International, by attending the International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC) and the Mission Training Workshop. The school club facilitates this process, but it is a personal initiative and separate from the club's primary goals. Students that attend these trainings can apply to volunteer at one of Operation Smile’s international medical missions. If chosen by Operation Smile International, the student can become part of a mission anywhere in the world.
THE PROCLAIMERS (Lectors)
Raising Hope Walk
Students (grades 7-12) seek to remove the stigma attached to mental illness, bring attention to the facts about suicide, remember those who have been lost to this tragic choice, and show support for their families and friends through a fund, awareness, and hope raising Walk held here on campus. The Walk begins with a ceremony and prayer, and concludes with a BBQ. The walk route runs through the beautiful Jockey Hollow. All proceeds raised go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an organization which seeks to find better ways to prevent suicide, create a culture that’s smart about mental health, and brings hope to those affected by suicide.
RUN IT OUT 5K
Students (grades 7-12) participate in this special event in honor of former Delbarton teacher, coach and administrator - Brian Fleury. It is a wonderful opportunity for our entire school community to celebrate the life of a truly inspirational man, and at the same time raise money for a worthy cause, which is selected each year.
S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
Students (grades 7-12) participate in this national program discouraging destructive choices, with a focus on the use of alcohol and other drugs and addictive behaviors. Additional focus is placed on respect for others, bullying, and dating abuse. By its educational efforts and imparting of responsible decision-making tools, SADD hopes to raise campus awareness and impact student attitudes about harmful substances and activities.
Solidarity Sleep Out
Students (grades 7-12) participate in a one night Sleep Out on Delbarton's campus to show solidarity with the experience of homeless teens and to raise funds for Covenant House, an organization helping homeless youth get an education, job, and become independent productive members of society. The night also includes a forum where the students get to meet and discuss homelessness with Covenant House youth who were actually homeless. Throughout the year students will participate in various fundraising and awareness raising activities.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
WAVE 4 LIFE
Holding the belief that all life has immeasurable value regardless of age, stage, or condition, Wave-4-Life is a team of dedicated students (grades 7-12) looking to promote respect for every human life from conception until natural death. The group participates in local and national pro-life activities, including the March for Life in Washington D.C., and supports local crisis pregnancy and post-abortion ministries. The group runs creative educational efforts throughout the year on campus. In addition, members participate in service projects for homeless youth, the mentally and physically disabled, and the elderly. The group honors the value of life through a funeral ministry dedicated to those who die alone and abandoned. Students serve at funeral Masses as pallbearers and liturgical ministers, attend gravesite services, and offer prayers to honor the lives of these forgotten ones.