SOS in B’hurst Area

Although typically a defense call for ships at sea, SOS has taken on a positive connotation in the Bensonhurst Cluster where the acronym stands for Saints and Sinners Out Serving.

SOS is a service program for young people that meets one Saturday per month, known as “Service Saturday,” during the school year, and more often in the summer months. Organized by Ken Wodzanowski, cluster coordinator for youth ministry, young adults are guided to see how they are called to help others, to deepen their awareness and feelings toward giving to others and serving the Church.

Boys and girls have already done service work in many local churches, including St. Dominic’s, St. Athanasius and St. Mary, Mother of Jesus. They literally clean the church and do other jobs that require many hands.

Volunteers prepare for Easter at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

On Holy Saturday, they helped out at Our Lady of Guadalupe on 15th Ave. by cleaning the church, including moving and arranging Easter flowers. They also filled plastic Easter eggs that would be found by parish children the next day and cleaned under the stage of the gym.

“Service should be enjoyable and also hard work, and the youth who come to the program experience both. The program always includes some formation, which hopefully gets youth to connect what they just did, or will do, to their everyday lives and helps them to see with new eyes,” said Wodzanowski.

Youth are encouraged to preregister for Service Saturdays so organizers have enough tasks and supplies ready. Soon, youth will be invited to help the elderly and disabled in the local area. Teams of teens and adults may also do minor repairs in and outside of people’s homes as they did last summer.

For more information on SOS or any Bensonhurst Cluster youth programs, visit http://BrooklynYM. tripod.com, or call Wodzanowski 718-234-0614.

Into the Woods

Christ the King Regional H.S.’s Musical Theatre presents “Into the Woods” on April 11 and 12, 8 p.m. and April 13, 2 p.m. Performance at the school, located at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village. Tickets: $12; $10/senior citizens; $8/students and alumni. Call Alice, 718-366-7400 ext. 244.

SFP’s NYS Science Honor Society Inductees

The fifth annual induction ceremony of the Franciscan Chapter of the New York State Science Honor Society took place at St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows. Five seniors and 46 juniors were inducted for the first time and 47 seniors were readmitted. Prep alumna, Dr. Olga Berwid, who studies the development of neurocognitive factors thought to underlie Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, gave the keynote. Another graduate, Michelle Bubnik, a 2004 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist, also spoke to the students. She’s currently working on her second publication regarding cluster analysis of preschoolers using measures of inattention, impulsivity and activity level.
Science teacher Joseph Sciame, who previously served as the Downstate Chapter Advisor, was appointed chairperson of the NYS Science Honor Society. Congratulations to all!

Youth Views

Do you take part in any volunteer or community service activities? If so, what are you doing?

Gerard Tweedy St. Edmund Prep Junior I volunteer at Mercy Home, an organization for mentally disabled adults, for their family days and sports events on my days off, weekends and during the summer. It makes me feel great to help others. It’s very rewarding.	Carlithia Harris Stella Maris H.S. Senior I do volunteer work at my church, St. Mary, Star of the Sea in Far Rockaway. I am a CCD teacher and I help at the Masses on Sundays.

Michael Johnson St. Edmund Prep Freshman Yes, during the summer I volunteer as a counselor at the camp at Our Lady of Guadalupe School.	Amanda Conenna St. Edmund Prep Sophomore I help at my sister’s Girl Scout Troop meetings every other Friday. It’s always nice to help out the troop leaders. It makes me feel good to know my help is appreciated.

Maire Buckley St. Edmund Prep Junior I am in the National Honor Society and a founder of my school’s Gaelic Society, which is rooted in service. Presently, we’re raising money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit that helps kids with cancer.	Kathleen Haggerty Stella Maris H.S. Senior I am always available to lend a helping hand whether it is in my community, parish or high school. This past year I have been volunteering at a volleyball clinic for fourth- and fifth-graders.

 

Lauren Galimi Stella Maris H.S. Sophomore My grandma is really involved with church work so I go with her and help her especially in the soup kitchen.	Camille Raimondi Bishop Kearney H.S. Sophomore I volunteer at my parish, SS. Simon and Jude, in the religious education program every Tuesday after school. I make time to volunteer because I know my help is appreciated.

 

Erica Carrasquillo Bishop Kearney H.S. Freshman I do community service in my old school. I help students after school with English, math and science. I make time to do this because I want the students to enjoy their time there as much as I did.

 

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