4-H Students at St. John Berchmans Deliver Care Packages to Homeless

Though the Christmas break was approaching for area campuses, students at St. John Berchmans Catholic School took time to recognize the needs of others through a community service project for the homeless.

Students from the school’s 4-H Club created hygiene care packages which included a fleece blanket, water, snacks, prayer cards, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and other items. Parent and family volunteers gathered to sew 100 bags to hold all the items and students helped to assemble each care package.

The service project was sponsored by The Children Youth and Families at Risk grant, which has helped the school build a garden and created a 4-H program on campus. “We want to ensure these kids understand the need of giving back,” said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program specialist, Melinda Garcia, Ph.D. during a Facebook LIVE post about the service project.

Students included cut-out clovers with messages of hope for the homeless. On the last day of school before the Christmas break, students, parents and teachers set out to deliver the care packages. The 4-H Club distributed the care packages to the homeless under I-37 and Nolan Street, on the east side of downtown San Antonio. The packages were a welcome gift as temperatures were expected to drop into the 30’s later that night.

The “Hygiene for Homeless” service project at St. John Berchmans is just one example of how students in Catholic schools help those in the community.

(Photos Courtesy of Melinda Garcia, Ph.D)