MSJ students delivered more than 100 Christmas boxes to local residents who could use a little help during this Christmas season.
Students hit the streets on Thursday afternoon, collecting thousands of items to place in the Christmas boxes as they visited nearly every house in the city. When students returned to the Marty McDonough Gymnasium with their donations, Christmas music blared from the speakers, as they sorted the items and boxed them from lists built for each individual family.
On Friday, students delivered the Christmas boxes to more than 100 families in the area. The boxes included a turkey, potatoes, many household staples, as well as wrapped gifts for children in the house.
“Project Help has taught me how important it is to be an active member of my community,” said MSJ student Victoria Tracey. “I’ve been part of planning Project Help for the past four years and I keep coming back because on the second day, seeing everyone’s faces, and how grateful they are is really something that teaches you a lot.”
MSJ was recognizing the 50th anniversary of Project Help, which began in 1968. The service project has grown over the years to become a signature event in the MSJ and larger Rutland community. This year, MSJ led up to Project Help with a 12-day series of videos called the 12 Days of Help, where alumni, staff and community members talked about the impact and importance of Project Help.
“I’m very proud of our students and what they do with Project Help,” MSJ Principal Sarah Fortier said. “Throughout the past 50 years, our students have helped numerous families during the Christmas season, which speaks to the mission of Mount St. Joseph Academy.”
MSJ would like to thank all of the generous donors, volunteers and students who helped make the 50th anniversary of Project Help a great success.