Pre-K students collect loose change throughout the winter and the spring to benefit Neighbor Network. Neighbor Network, Inc. is a non-profit charity organization located in Howard County, Maryland whose mission is to provide support in the way of monetary and non-monetary distributions to needy, less fortunate individuals and/or families. Their vision is to empower others to better their situations and to bring the spirit of giving to the hearts of our youth.
Aware that children brighten the days of the elderly, the kindergarten class chose to serve the Jeanne Jugan nursing home. In the early spring they collect personal care products among their class and take them to the nursing home. While there they sing for the residents. The Jeanne Jugan Residence is a ministry of the Little Sisters of the Poor. Their mission is to offer the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed as Christ, cared for as family and accompanied with dignity until God calls them to himself.
The first grade celebrates Earth Day by learning about recycling and ways that they can take care of the environment. The class then hosts a Brookland clean-up day that is open to all school families. Students are taught to care for God’s creation and to be witnesses so others may be encouraged to do the same.
Having learned about the generosity and kindness of their patron saint, St. Nicholas, the second grade collaborates with the Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” program. The “Angel Tree” program provides Christmas gifts to children in need whose fathers are incarcerated. The program runs in November and December.
The third grade class sponsors the St. Jude Mathathon from January to February 2014. This project allows students to help others by simply doing math problems and collecting pledges. St. Jude's Hospital serves children who are suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses. No child is ever turned away due to lack of money. As a school community, we have partnered with St. Jude for quite a few years and are pleased that recent proceeds supported families within our own Brookland community.
In an effort to promote social justice, the fourth grade supports St. Aloysius Gonzaga’s Fr. McKenna Center. The fourth grade collects can foods (PreK 3 - 6th grades) and packages of large white socks for men (grades 7th and 8th). The poorest of the poor come to the Father McKenna Center each weekday to get their mail, to take a shower, to enjoy a meal, to receive clean clothes, to ask for job and drug counseling and to experience a safe and drug-free environment. The purpose of the Father McKenna Center is to uncover the reasons why a person suffers from poverty and homelessness and then through mental health, medical, addiction counseling and education to motivate a person to go beyond their current situation.
The fifth grade class has chosen to reach out to the brave men and women who protect us in the United States Military. In the spring, the fifth graders ask for the entire school’s support in collecting specific items. Care packages are then filled with soap, snacks, air fresheners, and other items which the troops have specifically asked for. The troops receiving the packages are often in squadrons that travel a lot and are lacking basic needs that we take for granted.
The sixth grade collects pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC. These tabs will be recycled by the Ronald McDonald House for cash that will allow them to purchase sheets, towels, toiletries, food and other supplies for the many families who use their services. The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children.
St. Anthony Catholic School has a long tradition of supporting the parish’s St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry. The seventh grade hosts both a Thanksgiving and a Lenten canned food drive. Students learn about hunger and poverty and are encouraged to put their faith into action by participating in the drive.
The 8th grade sponsors a raffle in the spring; the proceeds are donated to a team of 6 dentists and 8 dental assistants who provide care for individuals in particularly destitute regions of Haiti. They also perform dental surgery for children dealing with select types of cleft pallet issues. These dentists/dental assistants and two other teams contribute these services on a rotating basis each year. Funding provides for antibiotics and other necessary medications and supplies, as well as mobile units/generators/tools to be used in the provision of this dental care.
The student council hosts a fall "Coats of Many Colors" coat drive to benefit Catholic Charities. Students make collection boxes and place them in various locations in the school and church. New and gently used coats are gladly accepted. Student notes are also written and attached to each coat.
It has become a St. Anthony tradition to organize a mini-walk to benefit Brookland’s Mary House. The mini-walk has evolved over the years, but continues to remain a successful school-wide event. Mary House is a community based organization that provides transitional housing services, shelter and support programs to homeless and struggling families, and was founded on the concept that "smaller is better."