Service plays an important role in St. Joseph School’s educational program. It is not only through books but through life experiences of volunteering and service to others that their students learn. Intertwining various levels of service into the daily lives of their students helps to create well-rounded individuals. So it is with smiles that St. Joseph School brings just a few of the outside-of-school volunteering activities that their students are involved in.

For her last birthday, 4th grader, Elizabeth Lucas decided to take it to the dogs! Instead of presents for herself, she invited all the girls in class to her party and asked them to bring food for the West Suburban Humane Society. The result was 480 lbs of dog food for the lonely animals complete with goodie bags made by the party-goers! Elizabeth's mom, Theresa was thrilled with the outcome. "Once again, St. Joseph School has inspired a good thing!"

A group of 6th grade families came together on a day off to help a non-profit group in Aurora called “Feed My Starving Children.” Together they created 16 boxes of food which included 3600 meals, enough to feed 9 children for a year. Mom, Melanie McGinnis felt their program is very well-run. "The kids learned about their cause through a presentation, then went to work to create a healthy blend of soy, rice, chicken broth and vegetables to create the meals." The Dunn’s, Gesior's, Metzler's, McGinnis' and O’Meara’s now know another way to become involved in helping those less fortunate. With their efforts, these 6th grade volunteers learned more about measurements and using a weighing scale through the process.

Bracelet-making is a hobby of 4th grader, Victoria Cannici. Her hobby turned into fundraiser when her seven-month old cousin, Kasey was born with a congenital heart defect and became very sick with pulmonary complications after open heart surgery. This heart condition concerned Victoria, who knew she wanted to make a difference. Through bracelet making, she raised nearly $3500 by selling her jewels at fashion shows held at the Drury Lane in Oak Brook.

But Victoria didn’t stop there. For her birthday, she asked friends to bring toys and books for “Kasey’s Cause” to help children at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Hospital, where her cousin was. Victoria's mom, Lori thought her daughter was so generous with her efforts. "It was just as special for Victoria opening gifts, knowing she was helping the less fortunate."

Since then, Victoria has been involved in fundraising activities annually with her family to bring awareness to this cause. In the US alone, over 25,000 babies are born each year with a congenital heart defect. Her bracelet-making fundraising effort brought scholarships to three children who were able to attend Camp Brave Heart, a camp for kids with heart disease and disorders. Each year the fundraising efforts continue to bring Kasey's cause to the forefront through an annual event held in October, which is Kasey's birth month. This year's event is currently in the planning stages. A 5K run is being planned for the Atlanta area with a possible 5K run in the Chicago area.

To learn more about Kasey's cause, go to the Vanek Angel Fund at www.vanekfamily.info/charity. Funds raised go to research, equipment for Sibley Heart Center in Atlanta and for Camp Braveheart scholarships. "Having these fundraisers keeps Kasey's spirit alive for our family and gives her short life a cause to help be part of the process to help other children born with Pulmonary Atresia and other heart disorders," added mom, Lori.

To learn more about Feed My Starving Children, go to http://www.fmsc.org, and for more information on the West Suburban Humane Society, go to http://www.wshs-dg.org/wshs.

Since its founding a century ago, St. Joseph School has offered a high quality Catholic Education. To learn more about the school, teachers and students or if you are considering schools for your child, contact St. Joseph School to learn more about their tradition of faith in education. For more information, go to www.stjosephdg.org or contact the school office at 630-969-4306.