On a crisp Saturday morning in November, a yellow school van pulled up to St. Bridget’s Community Food Pantry on Elm Street, and twelve students from May Catholic School climbed out — backpacks in hand, smiles on their faces, and ready to work. What followed was four hours of service that none of them will soon forget.
The annual food pantry volunteer day is one of the most anticipated events on May Catholic School’s service calendar. Students in grades five through eight have the opportunity to sign up, and each year the list fills quickly. For many, it is their first experience working alongside adults in a real act of community service, and the impact is immediate.
“I didn’t realize how many families need help,” said fifth-grader Lily Chen, who spent the morning sorting canned goods alongside pantry volunteers twice her age. “It made me want to do more.”
The students were organized into small groups, each assigned a different station. Some sorted incoming donations, carefully checking expiration dates and organizing items by category. Others packed weekly food boxes — carefully balancing nutrition, variety, and the dietary needs noted on client cards. A small group worked near the entrance, greeting visitors with warm smiles and helping carry bags to cars.
Pantry director Maria Esteves, who has run the facility for eleven years, said the May Catholic School students stand out for their enthusiasm. “They come in ready. They listen. And they treat every person who walks through that door with dignity. That’s not something you can teach in a morning — it has to come from somewhere deeper.” She paused and smiled. “I think it comes from home and from their school.”
The visit was coordinated by the school’s service learning coordinator, Mr. Patrick Flynn, who has built the program over the past four years into one of the most active in the diocese. Under his guidance, May Catholic School students collectively logged over 900 hours of community service last academic year alone.
Before leaving, the students gathered with the pantry staff for a brief prayer of thanksgiving. Eighth-grader Daniel Park, who has volunteered at the pantry three years running, led the group in a spontaneous prayer he had written the night before. His words — simple, earnest, and full of gratitude — moved several adults in the room to tears.
Back at school on Monday, the students debriefed in their homerooms, reflecting on what they had seen and felt. Many wrote journal entries that their teachers described as among the most honest writing they had produced all year.
May Catholic School’s next service project will take place in December, when students will be assembling gift boxes for families in need through the parish’s Christmas outreach program. Donations of toiletries, warm socks, and small toys are currently being accepted in the school office.
