One project included a housing rehab project in south Fort Myers near San Jose Mission. There the young people cleaned out the overgrowth of weeds and trash around several houses and then painted the exterior of one house and the interior of another. In their short time, they cleared out more than 100 bags of trash and yard waste.
The Freida B. Smith “Special Populations” Center is a facility that offers a variety of programs for adults and children with developmental disabilities. The mission of Special Populations is to promote independence through exposure, education and experience in a safe, caring environment. The students spent time interacting and tutoring the adult clients, including teaching them to dance, clean their garden and porch areas, and painted two benches.
Sara Sansone, program director of Special Populations, said students on the retreat had impressed her and the adult clients.
“You came here not knowing what to expect and you took the time to get to know people and did not treat them any differently, so now you are leaving here with many new friends and a new perspective on people with disabilities,” she said.
Gabriella Miller, who is a student at St. Francis Xavier School in Fort Myers, said she had fun getting to know the adults and was interested in returning to volunteer again. “I really have a better understanding,” she said.
A group of teens from Jacksonville worked at the Community Cooperative Ministries Inc. soup kitchen in Fort Myers, preparing and serving food to more than 100 people each day.
Throughout the week the teens were brought back to Bishop Verot High School each evening to share their daily experiences and to learn about the benefits of service.
An underlying theme of the week was to learn about the communion of saints and to realize each saint has a different story to tell. The students also learned that there are people living amongst us that have many of the traits of a saint whether they are a person with developmental disabilities, a homeless mother, a volunteer or a middle school student.
By the end of the week, exhausted from hard work and excited about their new experiences, the middle school students were changed.
“This is really having an impact on them,” said Jim Jenkins, youth director at St. Cecilia Parish in Fort Myers. “I am impressed with how they have matured and learned to appreciate their world in just a few short days.”
Printed with permission from the Florida Catholic.
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