St. Joseph Student Council celebrates Advent with a season of giving

St. Joseph School in Jersey City doesn’t just give back to the community on Giving Tuesday. It has expanded the charitable to last the entire Advent season.  

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that inspires charitable giving during the holiday season, this year taking place on Nov. 29. 

“Giving back is always inspiring, and it feels good to do something good for others,” said Sofia Peralta, a 7th-grade student at St. Joseph School. 

The month of giving is an annual occurrence at the St. Joseph School designed to teach students the value and importance of giving alms to the poor. 

“We are trying to teach our students here at St. Joseph School about the importance of giving and how fortunate they are,” said Principal John Richards. “We are trying to teach the kids here always to be giving, generous, and kind to other people. Hopefully, they are learning that through these events and fundraisers.” 

This year, the Student Council at St. Joseph School planned a series of fundraisers and activities from Nov. 29 - Dec. 20, including a snack sale, tag day, and Christmas raffle. The proceeds from the fundraising events will be donated to the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark Hope House and Wounded Warriors.  

The student council also facilitated a “Mitten Tree” collection for students wishing to donate winter accessories such as hats, scarves, and gloves for adults and children in need. The collection ran from Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, ending on National Mitten Tree Day. Students and staff collected 220 mittens donated to the Hope House in Jersey City. 

The Student Council raised $150 at the snack sale, and according to Principal John Richards, the school anticipates raising nearly $200 during their Tag Day, when students pay a fee to wear what they want. 

“St. Joseph School participates in Giving Tuesday every year because our Catholic faith calls us to serve our community especially during the wonderful Advent Season. We work as a school to give back to those in need,” Jessica Orellana, Student Council Moderator at Saint Joseph School Jersey City, said. 

Read: Archdiocese celebrates grand opening of Mercy House Jersey City location 

Alexis Manocchio, an 8th-grade student at Saint Joseph School, reflected on how participating in the Month of Giving has positively impacted her over the years. "I look forward to these activities each year. By doing all these fundraising activities, I realized that it was kind to give to the less fortunate,” she said. 

In a recent reflection, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, wrote: “Our Church begins again—a new year of grace—each Advent. What better time than now to implore the Holy Spirit of God, in the words of Pope Francis, ‘to initiate everyone—priests, religious and laity—into this art of accompaniment which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5)’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 169).” 

The Advent Season calls on Catholic people to reflect on how they can prepare their hearts and homes for Christ’s birth. It is a time for faith and school communities and families to remember the true meaning of Jesus’s birth through prayer, reflection, and virtuous deeds. 

Students, faculty, and staff at St. Joseph School in Jersey City extended Giving Tuesday this year into a Season of Giving, featuring four individual fundraisers throughout December to teach students the importance of giving.
 

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Featured image: The Student Council at St. Joseph school in Jersey City collected 220 pairs of mittens for Hope House as part of their annual Mitten Tree Day fundraiser.