Approved Sites
Tier One Service
At least 1/5 of a student's required service must come from these sites (2 hours for freshmen; 4 hours for sophomores and seniors; 5 hours for juniors.) These all directly and personally serve the marginalized, poor, vulnerable, and/or handicapped.
- A Rosie Place - Only if the work is with those who need 24/7 care to give respite to their families.
- Best Buddies (a club at Saint Joe) when activities involve interaction with buddies.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County
- Buddy up Tennis
- Camp WACK
- Catholic Charities
- Center for the Homeless - Only direct work at the Center. See also Center for the Homeless in Tier 3.
- Challenger League - Baseball for those with various disabilities.
- Christ Child Society
- First United Methodist Church of South Bend Soup Kitchen
- Food Bank of Northern Indiana
- Food Pantries
- Hannah and Friends - if there is direct contact with residents or clients.
- Hope Ministries
- Hospice - only if there is direct involvement with patients like visiting, praying, interacting with patients. This may include visiting family members and friends.
- La Casa de Amistad, Inc.
- Logan Center - only direct involvement with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism services, residential services, and day programs.
- Memorial Hospital Volunteers - only approved by the volunteer coordinator.
- Michiana iCan Bike Camp
- Monroe Circle Community Center Food Pantry
- Nursing homes or assisted living facilities but only if there is direct involvement with a resident not related to the student and approved by the person in charge of residential life and/or volunteer coordinator.
- Our Lady of the Road
- Parish or Church - Directly assisting with catechesis, religious education, Liturgy of the Word for children, Vacation Bible School, Leadership for youth ministry directed to junior high and under (not peers), Being a Godparent or a sponsor for someone being baptized or confirmed. This includes participating in classes, meetings, and liturgy, See also parish/church in Tier 2 and Tier 3.
- Reins of Life, Inc
- Right to Life
- Robinson Community Learning Center
- Saint Joseph Hospital - only approved by the volunteer coordinator.
- Saint Margaret's House
- SAWs - Servant at Work, Inc.
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace
- Women's Care Center
Tier Two Service
These are the works of mercy, involve children in activities, and include children who cannot pay (preferential option for the poor), care for God's creation, facilitate liturgy, are a service to community efforts toward solidarity, or offer our school's hospitality to others.
- 525 Foundation
- All 4 Animals Rescue
- Attending a funeral and/or a visitation (one hour; this may be done within school hours for anyone, including family, friends, and relatives.) The supervisor is your parent.
- Attending a prayer service for a special madd for someone of for a special need. The supervisor is the one who is in charge of the prayer service or mass.
- Children's Museum of South Bend
- Cultivate Food Rescue
- Donating your blood. One hour. The supervisor must be an official person who works at the non-profit.
- East Side Baseball Softball Association - only directly coaching or mentoring children.
- El Campito, Inc
- Fernwood Botanical Garden
- First Tee Indiana - only directly coaching or mentoring children.
- Fusion Fest
- Girls on the Run - only directly coaching or mentoring children.
- Heartland Small Animal Rescue, Inc
- Humane Society
- Irish Youth Hockey League
- Knights of Columbus
- Parish/church: Altar service, cantering, playing a musical instrument, signing in the choir. (1 hour), Child care at parishes, Lector, EMHC, usher, (.5 hours), Sacristan (.5 hours), Serving at special parish events such as fairs, dinners, picnics, festivals, See also parish/church in Tier 1 and 3.
- Pet Refuge
- Potawatomi Conservatories
- Ronald McDonald House Charities - only if service is done on site. Only actual time of service counts. See also Tier Three service.
- Saint Joseph HS-meeting time does not count but the service done does count. Back to School Night, Best Buddies, Concession stands, CRS club, Discover Saint Joe Day, Graduation, GREIA, HOPE club, ICCL, Liturgical ministry: Lector, altar server, usher, EMHC, choir, March for Life with the Right to Life club, NHS tutoring, OCIA Sponsors, Open House, Peer Mentor duties, Peer Ministry service, Student ambassadors, Summer camps for grade school and junior high for theater, art, tech camps for grade school children, Summer sports camps for grade school and junior high, Together for the Long Run, Please also see the work that is not approved for SJHS
- Saints and Scholars Camp in the Summer at Holy Cross College
- Schools (junior high and elementary schools) After School Care, Assisting with theater, musicals, band, clubs, science fairs, and camps, Directly being involved with helping student in the classrooms (only on SJHS days or time off), Field days (only after service starts to count for all SJHS students), ICCL, Tutoring, Y-Care, See also tier 3 service and the work that is not approved below.
- South Bend Animal Resource Center
- SunBurst Marathon - volunteering
- Unity Garden. Only These: 3701 Prast Boulevard, "Field of Dreams;" Corner of Angela and 933 on the side of Holy Cross College (Old Saint Joe High School Softball fields.)
- Women's Care Center - All other involvements not involving supervising children. See also Women's Care Center in Tier 1.
Tier Three Service
This service counts for fulfillment of the service requirement but does not count toward a service award.
- Center for the Homeless Food Prep.
- Anything that is prepared for the center for the homeless through the parish at home (3 hours max for each food prep; must be done exclusively by one student).
- See also Tier 1 options for the Center for the Homeless.
- Parish Church
- Church cleaning, maintenance, lawn work.
- See also Parish Church in Tier 1 and 2.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities;
- Pre-preparing snack bags or anything that is delivered to RMHC. Must be done exclusively by one student.
- Please see RMHC in Tier Two.
- Schools (only Catholic Diocesan schools that are junior high and elementary schools)
- School maintenance and cleaning (not merely helping a teacher) but organized by custodial staff and verified by a school custodian, school administrator, or school receptionist. Also see schools in tier 2.
- Work That Does Not Count for Christian Service
- Getting Approval for Something Not On the Lists Above
Work That Does Not Count for Christian Service
- Anything that is not directly on the above lists without prior approval.
- Parallel activities or groups for anything above must still be pre-approved.
- Making up something to do (clean a park for example).
- Any work for a person that is part of their normal job responsibilities for which they are paid.
- Prepping, grading, decorating classrooms for teachers.
- Assisting a doctor or nurse.
- Clerical Work.
- Helping a parent, family member, friend as part of that person's work.
- Any work for a for profit organization, even if done for free (this is illegal). Examples:
- South Bend Clinic.
- Restaurants.
- Daycares.
- Stores.
- Businesses.
- Funeral homes.
- Some cemeteries.
- Most nursing homes or assisted living facilities, except for direct interaction with residents. Please see Nursing homes in tier 1 for the only thing that counts.
- Sports complexes, fields, clubs, league programs.
- Concession work for sports programs outside of Saint Joe or ICCL
- Groups that do not offer financial assistance for children that cannot pay.
- For-profit sports organizations.
- Working on ground maintenance.
- Highly selective sports programs.
- Any work done for a university or another high school. (Unless it involves a charity outside of the organization. An example would be Strike-Out Cancer.)
- Work that benefits organizations whose membership or services are not accessible to the poor. (Country Clubs). This includes charity events.
- Work done for monetary compensation. Example: After school care for which you are paid. If you work a certain job like after school care for which you are paid, you must find a completely different kind of service to do.
- Service done for family, friends, or neighbors. The aim of the SJHS required service is to go beyond what you owe family, friends, or neighbors. You already have a moral obligation to aid those who are close to you. Cutting your grandma's grass is part of your familial duty. Helping your friend or neighbor is more of a moral obligation. Christian Charity and Catholic Social Teaching call you to be involved in the larger community. The only exception to this is visiting a friend or relative in hospice (see tier one), or going to a visitation or funeral (see tier two).
- Any service done by taking time off of school to complete service.
- Saint Joseph High School–These do not count for service.
- Work done as part of the normal functioning of your own club. Examples: Quiz Bowl members setting up for a tournament. Science club students cleaning lab equipment. Theater students participating in set construction.
- Cleaning a classroom for a teacher.
- Service to a teacher–grading, etc.
- Team managers serving the team.
- Team Trainers.
- Assisting in your own sports team at SJHS. Examples: Helping with your own JV team by being a ball boy, referee, score keeper, announcer, etc.
- Fundraising activities for your own team, sport, or club.
- See SJHS in Tier 2 for what counts.
- Direct service or connection to a political campaign.
- Work for a program or cause whose mission is in opposition to the Catholic Church and its teachings. (Interpretation of this guideline is entirely within the purview of the pastoral ministry team.)
Getting Approval for Something Not On the Lists Above
Please email Deacon Andy at aoross@saintjoehigh.com requesting approval for something not on the above list. This must be done at least a week ahead of time with the following information:
- What is the name of the organization?
- What is the name of the special event?
- Give a link to an official sign up.
- Give a website where others can learn about this.
- What corporal or spiritual work of mercy will it do or aspect of Catholic Social Teaching does it live out?
- What service tier should it fall under? Why?
- Who will be the supervisor and verify the hours worked? What is his or her email?