Siena Scungio ’27
The holidays are the perfect time to give back and be grateful for the many opportunities we are presented with daily, whether it be by volunteering, donating, or simply acknowledging those who help us. Here at EA, the Episcopal community is prepared to share its jolly spirit through acts of service in the coming months, providing many ways for students and faculty alike to volunteer their time and gifts to those in need.
Community service is one of the most important acts you can perform, as it has innumerable benefits for you and others. According to Western Connecticut State University’s Community Engagement article, “Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people…” Not only does volunteering affect the lives of the community being assisted, but it also allows participants to contribute to a world much bigger than themselves.
Photo courtesy of episcopalacademy.org
At EA, the importance of service is emphasized as well as implied. Father Tim Gavin Head Chaplain states, “Our messaging in chapel: chapel should lead to service, ‘now let our service to one another begin,’ implies that we’re going to go out and take whatever messages we have heard in chapel and actually practice them.” This selfless vision of community service is also felt outside of the Chapel with Rebecca Brinks, Community Service Coordinator noting how volunteering impacts students, adding, “[Service] helps to live the stripe of Generosity, it gives us an opportunity to think beyond the campus.”
In the weeks leading up to Christmas break, there will be service opportunities on campus for which students can participate. The most current event is the annual Can Drive, run by the Vestry, where each grade donates the most requested items to their assigned community partner. Additionally, EA recently hosted the Snack Bag Pack-a-Thon, bringing students from EA, Haverford, and AIS together. Snack bags were delivered to different feeding programs in our local community, and collectively, students packed over 1,000 bags to be donated.
Furthermore, Students Serve, held every Monday during domino block in the Chapel, is another way for students to get involved easily throughout the school year. In the coming months, Students Serve will be making flower arrangements for a retirement community, wrapping socks in holiday paper, and making bookmarks for inner-city libraries.
Even beyond these many opportunities, the largest upcoming service occasion is the Aclamo Angels event, which takes place around Christmas time. Brinks describes the Aclamo Angels as an experience where “individuals, families, and homerooms volunteer to be an angel for a specific Aclamo student.” Each holiday season, Aclamo sends around two hundred names of people looking for help, each one in hopes of being connected to an Angel. Elizabeth Hershey ’25, member of the Vestry and member of the Community Service Board, speaks highly about the Aclamo Angels program, explaining that “It’s a really awesome program because you get to really get close to your student in a way and you feel like you’re making a difference to one specific person.”
Photo courtesy of episcopalacademy.org
These are just a few of the ways Episcopal sheds light on the importance of community service and encourages students to expand their embodiment of the stripes. Adeline Frank ’25, a member of the Community Service Board, expresses the vitality of service, saying, “Doing your little bit of good, whether that’s doing the can drive or just doing a gift for the Aclamo kids, just doing something a little bit for those that are less fortunate than we are to make their holiday season a little brighter.”
As the holiday season rapidly approaches, dedicating the time to volunteer can brighten the lives of those who are enduring challenges, generate strong connections, and build a loving, caring, and compassionate community. There are many ways to contribute, big and small, and everyone is encouraged to participate in the joyous celebration of gratitude we call service.