Students at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Gravesend are taking mission Monday to heart. The lower grades made Valentine’s Day cards for seniors in the Waterford on the Bay nursing home and the upper grades made care packages full of necessities for homeless and those in need. The day was organized by the student council who raised money to get the supplies.
“The mission of the church to serve those on the margins was so clearly a part of that project,” said Father Joseph Gibino, vicar for evangelization and catechesis in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
“During Catholic Schools Week, it’s our job to give back and that’s what student council is,” said eighth grader Maria Bavaro, the president of the student council. “It’s what being in Catholic school is a part of and it’s truly our please giving back being a Catholic.”
“This is a perfect way of showing we are a family,” said teacher, Stephanie Campanella who coordinated the school’s Catholic Schools Week activities. “Whether you’re in this building or outside, we want to help as many people as possible.”
The students made 100 care packages, they’ll be distributed in Coney Island by Our Lady of Grace’s meal ministry on Wednesday.