Last February, Sophia Ramos, now an eighth-grader at St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, enjoyed sending her love to area hospitalized children by making them hand-crafted Valentine’s Day cards. She and fellow members of the school’s Service Club adorned each card with red heart cutouts, pink and white paper, and a heartfelt message.
The Service Club will again make Valentine’s Day cards — this time for children served by New Hope Mission in Haledon — during its annual Family Service Night on Feb. 5. They will also assemble bags with sandwiches for homeless people in Newark. Students and their parents will make pasta trays for the Father English Center in Paterson, part of Paterson Diocesan Catholic Charities. The Service Club directs most charitable projects at St. Anthony’s, which donated items for the Family Service Night.
“Service is a big part of my life. It fulfills my mission as a Christian to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate,” said Ramos, who also enjoys participating in St. Anthony’s Thanksgiving food drive.
St. Anthony’s is one of 22 Catholic schools in the Paterson Diocese, elementary through high school, that provides hope to struggling and disadvantaged people through ongoing Christian service projects. This year, those faith-filled acts of charity find greater expression in the current Jubilee of Hope 2025. Pope Francis declared a Holy Year for the Universal Church. He called the faithful to use the celebration to become “Pilgrims of Hope” in Christ.
“Serving others is relatable to St. Anthony’s students. They can share that hope in the Church and with their school, families, and community. They can be the bearers of hope to others,” said Salesian Sister Mary Jackson, the principal.
St. Anthony’s also holds a toy drive for Christmas. The school also encourages students to donate some of their money to a Tuesdays to the Missions initiative to raise funds for the worldwide missionary efforts of Sister Jackson’s religious order, the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Rev. George A. Brown Memorial School in Sparta raises thousands of dollars for charity each year. Fourth-graders have organized an Alex’s Lemonade Stand to benefit children with cancer. Third-graders sent encouraging letters and starfish ornaments for North Carolina children devastated by the recent hurricane. The school held a dance-a-thon for Mary’s Meals, which provides meals to homeless people, and a tag day for the Red Cross, which aids people displaced by the California wildfires.
Catherine Milano, a Rev. Brown second-grader, said her favorite projects involve raising funds for children with cancer.
“It feels good to work as a community to help others,” Milano said.
Patricia Klebez, Rev. Brown’s principal, said the school’s curriculum guides its staff and faculty in their “mission to educate the whole child.”
“Service projects help students understand we are here to serve others,” Klebez said.
St. Patrick School in Chatham donates monthly to the parish food pantry. Last fall, families made numerous chicken and turkey pot pies for needy people as part of its Builders Club. They also donate items such as toiletries and socks to a Newark homeless shelter. Families also donated gifts to Catholic Charities clients for its Christmas in a Box initiative. Students helped pick out or wrap the presents. They also made encouraging cards for firefighters and EMTs battling the California wildfires, including a student’s uncle.
“What’s important is that little bit of happiness and hope we can bring to those in need simply with a new pair of socks, a Christmas present, or a winter coat,” said Delaney Pignatello, an eighth-grader and Student Council president. “That is why everyone here is eager to participate in all these collections. It’s amazing to know that we can make a difference in someone’s life, big or small.
Dr. Christine Ross, principal, said, “Service is part of St. Patrick’s mission. We prepare students academically but also to be good people. For them, hope is helping someone else — sharing what they have and believe with others — to make positive changes.”