Sophomore Service Plunge
"My heart is transformed by the smile of trust given by some people who are terribly fragile and weak. They call forth new energies from me. They seem to break down barriers and bring me a new freedom.
It is the same with the smile of a child: even the hardest heart can't resist.
Contact with people who are weak and who are crying out...is one of the most important nourishments in our lives. When we let ourselves be really touched by the gift of their presence, they leave something precious in our hearts.
As long as we remain at the level of "doing" things for people, we tend to stay behind our barriers of superiority. We ought to welcome the gift of the poor with open hands. Jesus says, "What you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me."
- Jean Vanier
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Each
section of Sophomore Religious Studies will participate in our St Anthony Foundation Plunge in conunction with their Sophomore Retreat. Each class will travel
by school bus to St.
Anthony Foundation at Golden Gate Avenue and Jones. They will spend the morning learning about the programs available to the homeless
and poor in the city of San Francisco and then eat lunch in the Dining Room
with the many who come for a hot meal.
2008-2009 Dates
FALL SEMESTER
Thursday October 2: Paul Hanley's 2nd Period
Thursday October 23: Allison Wilson-Dudas 1st Period
Thursday October 30: Shannon Vanderpol 2nd Period
Thursday November 13: Patty Zatkin 3rd Period
Thursday November 20: Bill Haardt 5th Period
SPRING SEMESTER
Thursday January 15: Zatkin 6th Period
Thursday January 29: Hanley 1st Period
Thursday February 5: Wilson-Dudas 5th Period
Thursday February 26: Hanley 5th Period
Thursday March 12: Vanderpol 7th Period
Thursday March 26: Hanley 6th Period
Thursday April 2: Haardt 3rd Period
Thursday April 30: Zatkin 7th Period
Student Projects and Homework Assignments
Parent Chaperone Sign up and Information
For more information about the Service Plunge,
please email Jenny Girard
About the Tenderloin
The Tenderloin is made up of twenty city blocks, bordered by Union Square,
Market Street, and the San Francisco Civic Center. Approximately 29,000 people
live in the Tenderloin, many of them in "Single Room Occupancy"
hotels (SRO's). Of these residents, about 3,500 are children, though there
is only one middle school in the neighborhood (DeMarillac- a free, private
middle school connected with SAF). There are no grocery stores or supermarkets
in the neighborhood, but there are nearly 200 active liquor licenses. There
are as many as 27 languages spoken by residents of the Tenderloin. The primary
residents of the Tenderloin are seniors and immigrants. The focus of
our immersion experience is to better understand this neighboorhood, and better
accompany its residents.
The Thursday Morning "Comfort
Run"
Every Thursday morning, students from St. Ignatius travel to Saint Anthony Foundation
on a "comfort run." As many residents of the Tenderloin have nowhere
to eat breakfast, SI students distribute sandwiches and juice to anyone in
need on the street. Student volunteers are needed to make sandwiches, and
up to six students are needed to distribute food and meet residents of the
Tenderloin who are in need. Sign-up on the white board near the Religious
Studies office (room 211) or talk to your religion teacher. The van departs
SI at 6:45 AM and returns by 8:15 AM.
For more information, please contact Carlos Escobar