Season of Service

Stonehill Serves initiative is the latest expression of the College’s commitment to spreading goodwill.

by the Office of Communications and Media Relations
December 12, 2023
In December 2023, the College launched Stonehill Serves, a project that honors the generations who have positively impacted the campus and community by being of service to others since 1948.

In collaboration with the Office of Campus Ministry and in honor of Stonehill’s 75th anniversary, the College recently launched an initiative called Stonehill Serves, which honors the generations who have positively impacted the campus and community by being of service to others since 1948. Throughout this academic year, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to volunteer with organizations whose missions align with the College’s goal of creating a more just and compassionate world. 

Employees have already designed wreathes at the Farm at Stonehill, which were later donated to My Brother’s Keeper in Easton. They also visited Fr. Bill’s & Mainspring in Brockton to make lunches for people who are unhoused. Next semester, they will play sports with residents at the House of Possibilities, serve meals at Epiphany Soup Kitchen, put together backpacks at School on Wheels, plant seeds at the Farm and more.

The College has enjoyed long-lasting partnerships with several of the organizations participating in Stonehill Serves.

"Our work with Stonehill College has created beautiful relationships and opportunities for students, faculty and members alike," said Abby Waldron, community resource specialist for the House of Possibilities. "The Best Buddies program, volunteering, service learning, class visits, to name a few, have provided ample chances for our communities to learn from one another."

Waldron explains that the work that Stonehill has done at the House of Possibilities has helped reduce stigma surrounding the populations that the organization serves.

"Stonehill students and members of the House of Possibilities are in comparable stages in their life, as our members are also navigating their interests and passions with the goal of attaining their dream job," she said. "Serving our community expands mainstream society's perspective on what 'disability' truly means." 

Left to Right: Community members Alicia Lamere, Karina Rodrigues '25, Laurie Mooney, Katie Lloyd and Colleen MacNeil decorate wreaths at the Farm.

Gifts of Light and Hope

Stonehill Serves is one of several ongoing programs offering members of the community opportunities to honor the inherent dignity of those in need. For instance, the Alumni Council Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Committee held their annual gift wrap party earlier this month.

“This program marks the beginning of the alumni Christmas events each year and holds a special place in our hearts. For more than two decades, graduates have gathered in Donahue Hall in the spirit of Christmas to wrap donated gifts, bringing light and hope to families in need,” said Jennifer Silva ’93, senior associate director of alumni engagement. 

The gifts collected during the party are donated to Christmas in the City, an organization committed to ensuring that families experience the magic of the holidays, regardless of their financial situation or housing status. Since first partnering with Christmas in the City for their yearly event in 2012, the GOLD Committee has collected over 1,100 gifts.

Other gift collections have also been organized this season. Faculty and staff are invited to donate board games, video games, books, arts & crafts supplies and other toys to My Brother’s Keeper during the College’s annual employee holiday party. Residence Hall Association and several athletic teams also collected presents this month for the Easton-based Christian ministry, which has had ties to Stonehill for many years. 

Emily Daversa '20 wraps presents at the GOLD Committee's gift wrap party.

The Farm’s Mobile Market provides community members healthy food options. 

The Common Goods Pantry is located in the MacPháidín Library.

Serving the Common Good

In addition to partnering with external organizations on service projects, the College also generates its own programming designed to positively impact the campus and the larger community. Two projects that fall under this category are focused on food justice. 

Since 2015, the Farm’s Mobile Market has provided area residents access to farm-grown fruits and vegetables at or below cost. Students who have helped manage the market have gone on to enjoy successful careers at the Greater Boston Food Bank and at farms and agricultural organizations. Many have also forged long-lasting bonds with their customers.

“We become friends with the folks we serve and welcome them to the Farm. We become active in their lives by engaging them in lessons about how we grow the food, as well as how it can be cooked and enjoyed,” said Laurie Mooney, director of the Farm and its Mobile Market.

The Common Goods Pantry, located in the MacPháidín Library Room 206 and managed by the Office of Campus Ministry, was launched in August 2023 to address food insecurity among students. According to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, one in three college students experience food insecurity nationwide.

With its mission rooted in Catholic social teaching, Common Goods provides food, personal hygiene products and information on available resources to students in need. Since the start of the fall 2023 semester, Common Goods has been utilized over 400 times.

“It has been a deeply rewarding experience to see the positive impact that Common Goods has had on the Stonehill community over the last semester,” said Brother James Walters, C.S.C., campus minister for retreats & faith formation. “I am so grateful for all the support that faculty, staff and community members have given to us over the past few months. I believe that Common Goods has become not only a helpful resource for our students but that it also has the potential to bring the Stonehill community closer together.”

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