People always say “it is better to give than to receive”, and Providence Academy students can attest to this as they spend time volunteering with others from the school to assist the community. Last Saturday February 22nd, PACMAN (Providence Academy Campus Ministry Addressing Needs) teamed with Lions for Life to play Bingo with residents at St. Therese Nursing Home in New Hope.
PACMAN goes on monthly field trips designed to allow students to volunteer while also learning about the ways people in their community need assistance. Lions for Life is the student led pro-life organization at PA. Though much of its energy is concentrated on the rights of the unborn, the club understands a pro-life stance values life at every stage, from conception until natural death. With these two pillars as the club focal points, an overlap in outreach is almost inevitable.
Ryan Keller ’22 reflected on his first time attending a PACMAN event, “I thought it was a great way to give students at Providence Academy a chance to volunteer outside of the school”. His was one of 10 friendly faces from PA welcomed into to long term care facility on Saturday.
St. Therese offers a variety of living areas, from short term independent living to long term memory care living. Students got to visit with residents, and aided them in playing their Saturday afternoon Bingo. For many residents at St. Therese, this is the highlight of the week. Along with a good afternoon for those under the care of St. Therese, Providence Academy students also enjoyed the opportunity they were given.
Grace Wikenheiser ‘22 shared, “I greatly enjoyed not only hearing the life stories of the residents, but also seeing the joy on their faces when they were telling them. I was humbled by how much joy it brought them that someone was willing and eager to hear what they had to say, and honored that I was the one there to listen to them”.
Mary Rillens Lee ‘22 added, “As a high school student, I feel it is important to be aware of our surroundings, and help others when we are able to”.
Students will have another service opportunity with PACMAN next month, when the group visits Second Harvest Heartland, an organization in Brooklyn Park that strives to end local hunger. Through these events, students have the opportunity to truly experience the common saying, “it is better to give than to receive”.