Saint Florence parishioner learns about stewardship during childhood

Courtesy photo/Mikelle Weil

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Saint Joseph Elementary School students participate in a Lenten project to collect baby supplies and clothes for CCS' Saint Martha's Layette Baby Project. 

OGDEN — Mikelle Weil’s background in stewardship began when her parents taught her the philosophy during her childhood. Her parents were always serving others by volunteering, and she followed in their footsteps and became a CCD teacher at Saint Florence Parish, where she is a member.

"Appreciating my Saint Joseph Catholic School education led me to serve on the St. Joseph School board for more than 12 years as its secretary, vice president and president," said Weil. "In addition, my husband and I are second vice presidents for the St. Joseph Athletic Booster Club. I also am the president-elect and in my fifth year of serving on the Goal Foundation (Get Out and Live), which organizes sporting events in Ogden and I served on Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell’s campaign."

But out of all this, it is the stewardship committee Weil formed at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School that restores her faith. "This is where I can pass on the legacy of stewardship to the next generation," she said. "Part of our school mission is to teach the student’s community service. So while I was school board president three years ago, I developed the stewardship committee made up of eight moms. We came up with four projects and have made the Northern Utah Catholic Community Services Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank the beneficiary."

One of the projects is "A Buck for a Bird," held the week before Thanksgiving. Each St. Joseph student is asked to bring in $1 for turkeys.

"Last year we donated 845 pounds of turkeys," Weil said. "Smith’s Food gives us the turkeys for $6. We deliver them to CCS the day before Thanksgiving, and it’s incredible and moving to see the people lined up with their shopping carts to pick up items to make an entire Thanksgiving meal. It’s the beginning of the Advent season and the spirit of giving is infectious. We have 400 students and they often bring in more than $1."

The second project is "Wishes for Baby Jesus." Weil was raised with the tradition of writing wishes for baby Jesus on Christmas Eve and placing them in her stocking. The wishes had to be something like world peace or a cure for cancer, she said.

At the school, "We started the tradition by having the students write their wishes for baby Jesus," she said. "Father Ken Vialpondo, pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, then reads the wishes during the school’s Christmas Mass. It teaches the kids to think outside themselves and of the world."

In January the stewardship committee holds "Souper Bowl for Caring." Last year the students collected 5,423 pounds of soup cans. "This project is after Christmas when the CCS Food Bank shelves are becoming depleted," Weil said.

The Lenten project is for the CCS Saint Martha’s Layette Baby Project for which baby clothes and supplies are collected. "Last year we donated 1,857 baby items," said Weil, adding the students collected everything from diapers to bottles, clothes, blankets and supplies.

On Earth Day the students clean up the trash in the park across the street from the school. "This project teaches the students to be good stewards of the earth," Weil said.

"The students really go above and beyond with all of their projects," said Marcie Valdez, director of CCS Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank. "We rely 100 percent on the community for all of our food donations and for the layette donations for the St. Martha’s Baby project. We go through so much food over the holiday season because every client gets two baskets during November and December, so we get critically low in January. Their donations mean a lot and are a boost for us. Their commitment warms my heart."