Giving back to those in need

There are many ways that you can help others in need. Here are two things that I like to do to give back to others:

JOHN’S PLACE: It is an organization in the Mattituck community that provides homeless guests with a safe place to spend the night. People arrive and are greeted by volunteers from local churches who are responsible for providing the meals once a month from November to March. My grandparents’ family church is Advent Lutheran Church in Mattituck.  I volunteer as a food server with Advent Lutheran on the third Thursday of the winter months. A dinner with desserts is provided free of charge. In the morning, shelter guests receive a breakfast and a brown bag lunch to get them through the day. In addition to the dinner, there are other services offered such as showers, haircuts, counseling, free shopping at the thrift shop, and a warm, friendly environment to spend the night indoors.

JR. ST VINCENT DE PAUL: At St. Mary School, I participate in a club called Jr. St. Vincent De Paul. We have many fundraisers to raise money or collect items for people in need in our community. We decorated cards during the Christmas season to send to a local nursing home, and we held a sock drive for donations of new socks to give to people who are less fortunate to keep warm during the winter. Another fundraiser we completed as a school was a water bottle collection. Throughout the year we collected over $1,000 in plastic bottle deposits. The proceeds were given to the central office of the St. Vincent De Paul Society and was used for causes throughout many communities. Participating in the Jr. St. Vincent De Paul Club has been a rewarding experience, due to the feeling of giving back to people who are less fortunate.

Marytheresa Donohue's seventh-grade class, St. Mary School, East Islip