Saint Andrew students practice stewardship

Intermountain Catholic

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photo courtesy of Saint Andrew School

RIVERTON — Every student attending Saint Andrew School has many opportunities to practice being a good steward of faith. They learn that as stewards of God’s love, they should strive to share their gifts and talents for the service of God and all His people. Some of the opportunities of stewardship they participate in include acts of charity/service and alms giving. These activities teach our students the necessity of their time, talents, and treasure in serving the needs of the community and world today.

Students from the middle school recently had the opportunity to share donations acquired from a food drive with the Utah Food Bank that is located here at St. Andrew Parish. They collected various food items and spent their afternoon helping distribute food to over 85 families who attend the Food Bank. Joe, a student in our middle school said, "It made me realize that I have a lot to be thankful for and that I can give and help out more than I thought I could. A little goes a long way, and the people we served food to were so thankful for all we gave. It was inspiring!" Joe and his friends learned that people count on the food received weekly to feed their families and how necessary programs like the Food Bank are to struggling families.

Through almsgiving, students from grades Pre-K to 8th also find that their small and generous contributions will one day add up to a lot. Students are given the opportunity to give as much or little as they can to help the parish of Saint Andrew. They do this once a month by placing their donations in the basket during the offertory at our school Mass. Learning that they might one day see the building of a church on the school grounds, is inspiring to them.

"I can’t wait to see the new church that is built. I know it will be beautiful," said Sally in kindergarten.

This winter, the Student Council realizes that there are many people who will struggle to stay warm. The middle school students were instructed on what it takes to plan and organize a charitable event. They brainstormed and researched various programs in their religion classes and decided they would call their program the "Jolly Jacket Drive" and all the coats would be distributed through an outside organization.

"I really wanted to give them the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of providing a service to others," said Odette Desmairis, middle school religion teacher. "They came up with their own ideas and planned it all themselves. In the end, they had something they could really be proud of."

Saint Andrew School is on a mission to raise cheerful givers. We want our student to enjoy and find fulfillment in their lives. Through these and many other acts of service they were able to demonstrate their awareness of the graces God has given them, and their responsibility to share them with others.