On Friday, May 17, Trinity Hall students participated in their annual Service Day. Planned by a committee of faculty members, Service Day provides the Trinity Hall community with the opportunity to serve their community. The diverse services provided also help students to find their passions across numerous nonprofit organizations. Prior to the day of service, students reviewed the list of service locations, chose their preferences, and were placed at one of the organizations based on their interests.
The day itself began with Mass, led by Reverend Garry Koch who focused his homily on the importance of serving others. After Mass, students and faculty members boarded buses headed to nearly 20 different locations throughout Monmouth County. Groups visited organizations that Trinity Hall supports throughout the school year, either through volunteer opportunities or donations.
Students took part in a variety of activities when giving back to those in need. Chiara Donahue ‘27 joined her group at The Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore located at Camp Sacajawea. There, the girls worked together to paint tables throughout the camp. Donahue shared, “This act of service taught me how to apply perseverance to real-life situations. Also, it felt good knowing I was giving back to a community that teaches young girls to be powerful and skillful. I was once a Girl Scout, and knowing that my help would have a great impact on the future Girl Scouts was something that I can never forget.”
Junior Cassidy Salway ‘25 also found the day to be a rewarding experience as her group attended the Jersey Shore Mission storefront in Asbury Park. Salway said, “This year was the best service day I have had throughout my years at Trinity Hall. While there, we learned the program is for men recovering from addiction. The program provides recovery through spiritual means, communal means, and an emphasis on accountability. Being able to see how much the store benefits multiple parties really inspired me. This tiny store really presented a greater picture within the community.” Salway and her group learned about the program, helped to clean displays and sorted through donations during their time at the store.
While most students ventured out into the community, some stayed behind to provide service to guests at the Trinity Hall campus. Emily Venezia ‘26 and her group worked with a class of sixth-grade girls visiting from Sisters Academy. The high school students demonstrated applications of engineering in everyday life with a presentation. They then helped the younger girls to complete an engineering project. Venezia said, “I appreciated the opportunity to make connections with middle school girls and teach them about how fun STEM can be. I was amazed at how well they were able to complete the project we assigned and I enjoyed helping them along the way. My favorite part was seeing how happy the girls were when they finally got their projects to work successfully because it taught them how rewarding the core value of perseverance can be. Overall, I had a wonderful time fostering the girls' problem-solving skills and creativity.”
At the conclusion of the day, students returned to campus and reflected on their experiences with Advisory groups. Students were treated to ice cream from an ice cream truck while they shared their thoughts from the day with their groups. Based on anecdotes and reflections that were shared, the day proved to be a success. Faculty member and Service Day co-coordinator Cindy Sobieski shared, “Observing our students in action paying it forward to the community was inspiring and a reminder that when we work together, we can make a real difference in our neighborhoods. I’m looking forward to the feedback from our students and staff to help us plan for next year.”