Community Service

Saint John Baptist De LaSalle said, “God of love, set me aflame with love for you and for my neighbor.” It is this love of God and neighbor that drives the service component of our school’s mission. Because service is at the heart of our call to bring Christ to the world, inculcating a love of service is an essential part of forming young people.

All students are expected to complete a minimum amount of independent service each semester. Freshmen and sophomores must complete at least one service project in the fall and one in the spring. Juniors and seniors must complete at least two service projects in the fall and two in the spring. Before beginning a service project, students must submit a pre-service reflection. A post-service reflection will also be submitted upon completion of the service project.

Additional guidelines for fulfilling the requirements of the service program can be found below.

Program Overview

Saint John Baptist De LaSalle said, “God of love, set me aflame with love for you and for my neighbor.” It is this love of God and neighbor that drives the service component of our school’s mission. Because service is at the heart of our call to bring Christ to the world, inculcating a love of service is an essential part of forming young people.

The goal of this program is to establish a baseline requirement of community service that is both substantial and attainable. We hope that, as students develop a spirit of service, they continue to go above and beyond this minimum expectation. Studies have demonstrated that students who build habits of community service in their high school years will continue those habits in college and beyond. We hope that this program will lay a foundation for students to become lifelong servant-leaders who love God and neighbor in faith and charity.

What do I have to do?

Throughout your time at Seton LaSalle, you are expected to regularly engage in community service. All students must complete a minimum amount of independent service each semester. Freshmen and sophomores must complete at least one service project in the fall and one in the spring. Juniors and seniors must complete at least two service projects in the fall and two in the spring. “Spring” includes anything done between the first day of Christmas break and the beginning of final exams. Any service that is done over the summer counts toward the upcoming fall.

The same activity may not count as multiple service projects in the same year. For example, suppose you are a regular altar server at your parish. You can only count this as one service project, regardless of how many times you served. You may count it again the following year, provided you are still an altar server.

What is a "service project"?

In this context, the term “service project” refers to any work of service that you complete as part of this program. It is a broad category that includes:

Volunteering at an event hosted by an established organization
- Example: Helping in the kitchen at your parish fish fry
Volunteering at a charitable organization or outreach
- Example: Going to the Red Door
Acts of service that you created or initiated
- Example: Creating a carpool for students who have trouble getting to Mass on Sunday

Service projects can be one-time events or ongoing commitments. Some organizations have a well-defined registration and training process for volunteers, while other service projects are much less formal. While there is a lot of variety when it comes to service projects, there are some defining characteristics that all service projects must have.

They are rooted in the Gospel. This doesn’t mean that all of your service projects must be explicitly religious in nature, but all service begins with Christ’s call to serve the poor. Service projects cannot support ideologies or organizations that are opposed to the Church’s moral teaching. Service projects may not directly support individual political parties, candidates, or their campaigns. Service projects may not include immoral actions (e.g. you cannot let a friend copy your homework and then claim that you were “tutoring a classmate”).
They require time. A substantial service project takes more than a few minutes. A good rule of thumb is that a service project should require at least 2-3 hours of work. Any project that will take less than two hours must be approved in advance.
They are connected to the Church’s social teaching. The Church has identified both corporal and spiritual works of mercy as perennial ways of serving the poor. There are also the themes and principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which can inspire our efforts to build a just society. Every service project should intentionally contribute toward at least one item from these categories. (For a full list, see the pre-service reflection form.)
They are based on a deeply held personal commitment to those served. Because service is always rooted in the love of Christ, the person who is served is central. You should choose service projects based on your interests and abilities, knowing that passion is what makes a volunteer excellent. Even if a service project does not fully align with a pre-existing interest, it is essential to approach every act of service with an intentional love of the persons you serve.
They are voluntary. Tasks that are required to remove discipline points cannot count as service projects. Further, service projects exclude tasks that are completed for your immediate family, your parents’ employers, or as part of normal household chores. (Shoveling your driveway is not a service project, but shoveling your elderly neighbor’s driveway is.)
They do not provide monetary compensation. Service projects must be completed on a strictly volunteer basis. Students may not receive any payment, restitution, or material benefit from a service project.
They are active. Service projects require effort on your part, and should not be strictly passive collections. Collecting money or items for an organization is laudable, but it only counts as a service project if you can demonstrate that sufficient effort was required.

Pre-Service Reflection

Prior to beginning a service project, you must fill out a pre-service reflection. This reflection is found in a Google Form, and uses the same link as the post-service reflection. When you begin to fill out the form, select “Pre-Service” and start answering the questions. A link to the form can be found above and on QR codes around the school.

There are several reasons for requiring you to complete a reflection before their service project. First, this allows us to verify that your proposed service project meets the above criteria before you do the work. More importantly, completing a reflection ahead of time will give you an opportunity to think about why you chose that particular service project, enabling you to approach your service with more intentionality. The pre-service reflection must be completed no later than 24 hours before you begin your service project.

Post-Service Reflection

After you complete your service project, you will submit a post-service reflection. Use the same link that you used for the pre-service reflection, but this time choose “Post-Service” when prompted. This part of the form will focus on your experience and what you will take from it.

The post-service reflection will ask you for information about your “service supervisor.” This term refers to the adult who was in charge of your service project, such as a volunteer coordinator. If the service project was one that you created, please find some other adult who can verify your service and is willing to vouch for you. The form will ask for their email and phone number, so be sure to ask for that information when you are doing your service. We can only count service projects when we have valid contact information for a service supervisor.

The deadline to submit post-service reflections is the last day of classes before midterm exams (for summer/fall) or final exams (for winter/spring). However, we strongly encourage you to submit your reflection soon after you complete your service project. Doing the reflection will be easier when the experience is fresh in your mind, and it’s less likely that you’ll forget to turn it in.

How do I find service projects?

It’s always a good idea to begin with your interests and passions. Think of issues that are important to you, and then think about ways to get involved. Be sure to look into an organization’s volunteer requirements. Some only accept volunteers of a certain age or have other requirements. Campus Ministry will also send out information about upcoming service opportunities, so check your school email often. (Typically, the subject line of these emails will begin with “Service Opportunity”.) It’s also a good idea to ask friends what they are doing, and consider going with them. We also encourage you to diversify your service projects between service to the school, the Church, and the local community.

Can you give me some ideas for service projects?

If you’re looking for ideas, consider:

Helping with church-affiliated camps or Vacation Bible School
Acting in a parish’s Living Stations
Altar serving or lectoring at Mass on a regular basis
Operating the slides at all-school Mass on a regular basis
Helping your parish office with clerical work
Assisting with CCD at your parish
Helping at a fundraising event for a grade school
Babysitting (not including siblings)
Working at fish fries, parish breakfasts, etc.
Volunteering at a Saint Vincent de Paul thrift store
Volunteering at the Red Door
Helping with Admissions events for the school
Tutoring
Attending the annual March for Life

What happens if I don't meet these expectations?

Seton LaSalle is proud to offer a program of formation that goes beyond the academic requirements of the classroom. Completing the service program is an integral part of this program of formation, and is not optional. Near the end of each semester, students who have yet to fulfill their service requirement for that semester will be required by the administration to attend a service project on a designated day and time.

If you have any questions about a particular service project or the service program in general, please reach out to Campus Ministry by emailing Mr. Astle.

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