December 25, 2009
To Youth & Young Adults
St. Ben’s eighth graders help with Christmas Giving program
With Christian in his arms, Jorge and Sylvia enter Nativity Church for the Guadalupe celebration. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
For the last several years, Marty Horning, DRE at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, has enlisted eighth graders at the school to help at the annual Christmas Giving program sponsored by Catholic Charities.
Parishioners throughout the Diocese of Evansville adopt families through the Catholic Charities program, and bring Christmas gifts for them to the Catholic Center in Evansville.
The eighth graders help distribute the gifts to the families.
This year, they wrote about their experience.
• Evan Sandwith: It made me feel good to know I was helping. I saw Jesus in the people that brought the presents because they had large amounts of presents for the needy people.
• Paige Effinger: It was great because while we were wrapping the gifts you had the feeling deep down inside that you were helping someone in need.
• Natalie Pitt: It was nice to be able to help others. It made me realize what I have, and appreciate it.
I saw Jesus in my classmates because they all were trying to get the people’s gifts to their cards and making sure it was the right gift. We were all working together.
• Mallory Hammond: It felt good to help others. I enjoyed helping the families. When I saw some people come in, it made me very thankful that I am lucky enough to go to a Catholic school.
Seeing my classmates be so eager to help others reminded me that Jesus lives in all of us.
• Ethan Ritterling: I saw Jesus in Mrs. Horning because she spends her time and effort helping others.
• Maria Quinton: It was a great experience helping families in need. I was happy to help make someone else’s Christmas good. I would love to help out a lot more often.
• Rachel Gamble: It really puts me back in my place and be more thankful for everything I have. It also takes a little guilt off me by having the opportunity to do so. It really helps our class and making us work together.
I saw Jesus in our whole class working together helping others. I also saw Jesus in the shoppers who were very happy with what they got.
• Joel Epley: It was very fun, and it gave me the opportunity to help people who are needy and I felt very good about it. I am very thankful that I could help out.
I saw Jesus in everyone helping. They reminded me of Jesus because of how they helped the needy.
• Sam Myers: It was sad but happy! I was sad because seeing all these people that need this program to have a good Christmas but it felt really good to help people.
In the needy, I saw gratefulness.
• Stephen Moors: Helping out at the Christmas Store was an eye-opening experience. I didn’t really know how hard needy people have it.
I saw Jesus in Mrs. Horning.
• Brian Stephan: It was an experience like no other. Seeing people who need help with getting presents for themselves and others. It was not only for toys and games but also for cleaning supplies and bathing supplies.
• Mary Birkhead: It was eye-opening, a very humbling experience.
I saw Jesus in the adult volunteers and in the classmates of mine.
• Macey Kramer: It was a great experience to help all the needy families.
Even though the people have not a whole lot, they were very kind and had mostly happy faces. Just like Jesus, even though people laughed at him and made fun of him, he still carried out his duty in life.
• Chloe Pritchett: It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed helping the people get their gifts for Christmas. I loved seeing how happy they were to get them.
• Emma Ulrich: It was a very good experience because I got to help people in need and I saw how for granted we take stuff. I saw some people get into it and enjoy themselves.
• Joel Kuykendoll: I liked the Christmas Giving program. It was an opportunity to help someone and made me feel good.
I saw Jesus in everyone at the Christmas Giving program be-cause everyone was helping someone.
• Ryan Clark: I really enjoyed helping out at the Christmas Giving program. I enjoyed helping because I liked the feeling of helping needy families. It made me feel special doing good deeds to help families have a better Christmas. It made me feel like I have partially achieved the true meaning of Christmas.