Loyola held its annual Community Service Fair, which featured several community service organizations, such as St. Joseph’s School, Life Steps Foundation and Stars, on Sep. 12.
Director of St. Joseph School Kevin Donohue said, “I went to a Jesuit high school myself, and I think that when you are trying to train students to be men for others, one of the most important things you can do is to train them to keep an eye out for others that aren’t very fortunate. Community service helps the students become leaders and practice their mentorship with others.”
At St. Joseph School, which is located in Hawthorne, teachers educate the students to develop into critical thinkers who will positively impact their communities by living out their schoolwide learning expectations.
Donohoe said, “We have about 310 students on campus, and our mission every day is to get them to be followers of Christ and academic achievers.”
The Stars program in Pasadena provides a wide spectrum of enrichment activities and homework assistance for school students. The staff provides a learning experience that seeks to develop the gifts and talents and unlock the potential of students from kindergarten to the senior year of high school.
Stars Volunteer Program Assistant Alex Rangel said, “Community service is a good thing to learn at a young age, and it is a great asset to help and give back. It gives students a sense of maturity, and these programs help students develop into good, responsible adults.”
Life Steps Foundation Children and Family Services is a non-profit organization of the Life Steps Group. They work to maximize the development of infants, toddlers, teens and adults who have or are at risk for developmental delays. This organization helps to educate and support families in strengthening parent-child relationships.
Development Director of Life Steps Foundation Doug Rimerman said, “In our society, it’s always wonderful to have people that can help others that are more vulnerable. There is always a need for people in the community to come forward and do whatever they can to help out those in need.”