April commemorates commitment to community service among individuals and inspires people to help those who are less fortunate as National Volunteer Month.  Honoring Sacred Heart Greenwich’s mission of social awareness, freshman Olivia Antenucci, sophomore Caroline Fouts, junior Lauren Drummey, and Mr. Michael Maida, Upper School Math Teacher, work to inform and educate the community. 

As part of his 1000 Points of Light campaign, Former President George HW Bush instituted April as National Volunteer Month in 1990, according to murdocktrust.org.  He wanted to honor the legacy of organizations committed to serving others and instill a common purpose of selflessness in Americans.

Goal Three of the Sacred Heart Greenwich Goals and Criteria emphasizes the school’s dedication to a “social awareness which impels to action.”  In order to fulfill this goal, students and faculty at Sacred Heart strive to educate themselves on global and domestic issues.  A recipient of the Congressional Medal Award for completing 400 hours of community service, Caroline works to improve literacy among the youth.  She is the Event Leader and Social Media Correspondent of Turning Pages, a student-run initiative that gifts books to low-income children from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.  

Caroline believes that introducing children to reading at a young age can lead to academic success and a life-long passion for learning.  She encourages students to reflect upon social inequities in the world and to become active in community service initiatives. 

“I would encourage others to find something they are passionate about and share it with others,” Caroline said.  “The work they do will make a difference in communities.  No act of kindness is too small.  When I am at free book fairs helping children select books, I feel great knowing they will have a new book to read and own.  I feel confident that others will find joy in serving others and [that] their efforts will positively impact our communities.”

Mr. Maida also values Sacred Heart’s emphasis on social awareness.  In an effort to increase understanding of food insecurity within the school, he helped establish the Sacred Heart Network service project, “Hearts Fighting Hunger.”  This project educates middle school students on food insecurity and helps relieve local families of this issue. 

This summer, Mr. Maida and Sra. Montserrat García, Upper School World Language Teacher and Network Exchange Coordinator, will accompany rising seniors on a service trip to the Texas Rio Grande Valley.  He hopes that students will develop a greater awareness of the challenges immigrants face in the United States through working with immigrant families at the border.  Mr. Maida believes that National Volunteer Month highlights the necessity of volunteer work to improve society.  

“Following what Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat started, community service is part of our school’s mission,” Mr. Maida said.  “I think that people at Sacred Heart feel the importance of promoting social awareness.  I also think having a National Volunteer Month is a good idea because it gets more people who maybe did not volunteer before, because they never thought about it or did not know what they could do, to be interested in community service and to [then] continue their work.” 

Olivia is part of The Avenue, a leadership program based in New York City, New York (NYC).  With the help of mentors and her peers, Olivia is learning how a leader can realize positive change.  Her latest initiatives included volunteering at Camp Applewood in New Jersey.  There, she taught girls in lower and middle school how to develop leadership qualities. 

“As a Catholic, serving others is part of our mission,” Olivia said.  “I think that it is important to raise awareness that other people do not often get the opportunities that we do at Sacred Heart.”

As co-head of the Midnight Run Club, Lauren helps organize food, blankets, clothes, and toiletries for the homeless in NYC.  Twice this year, Lauren and other club members provided assistance to the homeless in NYC.  Lauren commented on how community service has helped her become a more sympathetic individual.

“Being a part of Sacred Heart has made me realize how fortunate I am, so running the Midnight Run Club allows me to bring community and justice to the streets,” Lauren said.  “Community service expands my perspective on the world and allows me to develop empathy for the less fortunate.”

Featured Image by Ana López del Punta ‘23