Good Counsel service hours

[Anonymous]

I’d appreciate tips from seasoned GC parents on how their kid earned service hours. The school’s approved list of activities seems very limited. Moreover, the activities seem short—like one hour—and many orgs don’t have a lot of availability.

Do most students simply do these approved activities?

I know you can theoretically pursue other activities after securing approval, but I would like to hear from actual GC parents whose kids did an alternative activity: where, what, how, etc?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My son always did his hours in the summer. His first year, as a freshman going into GC, he was a counselor at VBS. Sophomore year, I can’t recall how he got the bulk of his hours. Junior year, he did a summer trip to Appalachia, and this summer he did a trip to Camden, NJ. He received an email that he has officially fulfilled his commitment for graduation.

I highly recommend getting it done in the summer. Both trips he went on were right when school ended and before anything really started - I think it was the first week of June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son always did his hours in the summer. His first year, as a freshman going into GC, he was a counselor at VBS. Sophomore year, I can’t recall how he got the bulk of his hours. Junior year, he did a summer trip to Appalachia, and this summer he did a trip to Camden, NJ. He received an email that he has officially fulfilled his commitment for graduation.

I highly recommend getting it done in the summer. Both trips he went on were right when school ended and before anything really started - I think it was the first week of June.

Thanks, pp.

Were the trips to Camden and Appalachia through GC? I can’t imagine they have many slots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d appreciate tips from seasoned GC parents on how their kid earned service hours. The school’s approved list of activities seems very limited. Moreover, the activities seem short—like one hour—and many orgs don’t have a lot of availability.

Do most students simply do these approved activities?

I know you can theoretically pursue other activities after securing approval, but I would like to hear from actual GC parents whose kids did an alternative activity: where, what, how, etc?

Thanks!

What grade is your child? The list of sites on the website are suggestions and not exhaustive. If you know of sites closer to you, your best bet is emailing the Campus Ministry office to see if it's a site that counts. Your child can also stop by the office during the school day and ask one of the staff.

In terms of alternative activities, my child does service over the summer and sometimes during extended breaks. Last year they went to help at a Toys for Tots event with their friends and did some of the opportunities hosted by the school- these are usually in the daily bulletin.
There are also summer service trips the PP has mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Not a GC student, but my DS is at another local Catholic HS and he completed most of his Sophomore service hours over the summer at a local food pantry. Freshman year he was able to spread them out over several weekends by volunteering through our church youth group which offers volunteer opportunities helping out at church events or running fundraisers for outside organizations, but those did t meet the criteria for Sophomore, Junior and Senior year at his school which needed to be more direct service with an impacted population.

[Anonymous]

There were not a ton of spots for the trips, but there were not a ton of kids who applied, either. I know there was space available on the Camden trip last year. Only 10 or 11 kids went. These were through GC. They are a GREAT way to lean into service and build community. I had a son go to a different HS who also participated in these service trips and they really helped shape their views and experiences.

[Anonymous]

What are other freshmen doing? Summer opportunities won’t count towards the requirement for freshmen year, and we are struggling to find openings to knock out the hours.

I’d also appreciate tips on alternative opportunities beyond the suggestions online.

[Anonymous]

DS earned almost all his service hours in freshman, sophomore and junior years by going on Grate Patrol, distributing breakfast bags to homeless people in D.C. on weekend mornings. Each patrol counts for 4 hours. While it's a very early start, DS has grown through helping others. In addition, his Grate Patrol experiences and stories became a central theme of his Common App essay. (Grate Patrol is a mission organized by St. Paul's K Street).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS earned almost all his service hours in freshman, sophomore and junior years by going on Grate Patrol, distributing breakfast bags to homeless people in D.C. on weekend mornings. Each patrol counts for 4 hours. While it's a very early start, DS has grown through helping others. In addition, his Grate Patrol experiences and stories became a central theme of his Common App essay. (Grate Patrol is a mission organized by St. Paul's K Street).

Did he do it with a parent and/or friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS earned almost all his service hours in freshman, sophomore and junior years by going on Grate Patrol, distributing breakfast bags to homeless people in D.C. on weekend mornings. Each patrol counts for 4 hours. While it's a very early start, DS has grown through helping others. In addition, his Grate Patrol experiences and stories became a central theme of his Common App essay. (Grate Patrol is a mission organized by St. Paul's K Street).

Did he do it with a parent and/or friends?

Yes, always with others, typically a parent and/or school friends and other volunteers assigned by Grate Patrol.