Our faith calls us to work for justice; to serve those in need; to pursue peace; and to defend the life, dignity, and rights of all our sisters and brothers. The ministry of justice and service
involves adolescents, their families, and parish communities in actions of direct service to those in need and in efforts to address the causes of injustice and inequity;
nurtures in young people a social consciousness and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in their faith in Jesus Christ, in the Scriptures, and in Catholic social teaching;
empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts to address the causes of human suffering; and
infuses the concepts of justice, peace, and human dignity into all ministry efforts. New helpers are always welcome! Contact the Youth & Young Adult Ministry Office (313-565-1020) for additional information.
National Make a Difference Day (Oct.): Make a Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others. Held annually on the fourth Saturday of October, it is the nation's largest day of volunteering. Million of Americans are rallied into a single day of action to help change the world and unite in a common mission to improve the lives of others. Youth, teens, and young adults first serve at P.B.J. Outreach in the morning (see explanation elsewhere) and then go to Gleaners Food Bank in Detroit to help pack food bags or sort food, whatever are their particular needs.
National Teen Homelessness Awareness Week (Nov.) is usually the third week of November. During the year our Youth and Young Adult Ministry is involved in knitting scarves and/or hats (See Knit-Wits) and making fleece blankets that we donate to Covenant House of Michigan in conjunction with their Candlelight Vigil to fight homelessness. We who recognize God's providence and fidelity to His people are dedicated to living out His covenant among ourselves and those children we serve, with absolute respect and unconditional love. That commitment calls us to serve suffering children of the street and to protect and safeguard all children.
Thanksgiving at Manna House (Nov.) takes place on Thanksgiving morning. Youth, young adults, families, all ages gather at Manna House (located in the basement of St.Peter Episcopal Church in Detroit) to help serve a full Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. Takes place 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Baskets for Refugees (Dec.): In conjunction with our semi-annual Las Posadas event, we collect and contribute household items to the Archdiocesan Ministry to Refugees that will help people arriving from other countries in our area to get a start on creating a space to live.
SouperBowl of Caring (Jan./Feb.): SouperBowl of Caring is youth across the nation working to fight hunger and poverty in their own communities around the time of the Super Bowl football game. In the weeks leading up to or on Super Bowl Sunday, young people take up a collection (many use a soup pot), asking for one dollar or one item of food for people in need. They give 100% of their donations directly At Sacred Heart we go one step further. We sponsor a SouperBowl of Caring Soup Lunch and serve homemade soups (by our teens & young adults) to parishioners/friends after all the Masses for any donation, and all donations received are then donated to our local hunger-relief charities chosen by our youth.
Martin Luther King Service Day (Jan.): together with youth from throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit, Sacred Heart teens participate in a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his mission to helping those in need. On the Saturday in January before Martin Luther King Day, we perform acts of service in and around the City of Detroit helping those in need.
CRS Young Adult Food Fast (Jan./Feb.): Food Fast is Catholic Relief Services 24-hour hunger awareness retreat for Catholic youth and young adults. Focusing on global poverty and hunger, Food Fast offers a journey of solidarity with our brothers and sisters overseas, as a way of living out our Catholic faith. Go hungry with thousands of young Catholics across the country for one weekend and learn how you can take a stand against global poverty. Participate in Catholic Relief Services' Food Fast during Lent when we'll journey with the poor and hungry as a way of living out our Catholic faith. All youth are invited to be a part of something big and to join us.
National Walk for Water (April): Our Youth and Young Adult Ministry pairs up in an innovative parish-to-school approach helping young people develop a concern for others by taking a major global crisis and scaling it down to a manageable size; one water project in the developing world. Students learn that they can make a tangible difference in the quality of water or contributing to a clean water system for their partner school. One way we participate is through an H2O for Life
Walk for Water, a fundraising and awareness-raising concept where students, family members and community members walk 5 kilometers, carrying 6 liters of water in a backpack. That's slightly more than 3 miles, and is the average distance that women and girls in developing countries must walk every day, typically carrying 20 liters of water. All funds raised supports the school you have chosen. We also challenge people to give up all beverages except water for 2 weeks, and the money saved through that sacrifice is donated to the well-drilling ministry/clean water system in a developing area.
Summer Mission Trip (July): Is taken for a week during July with Catholic Heart Workcamp in order to share the love of Jesus and serve the neglected, brokenhearted and marginalized in any way needed. The Catholic HEART Workcamp mission trip serves to revitalize communities and beautify homes for the elderly, disabled and those who cannot afford needed repairs. In doing so, we empower participants to live as disciples of Christ through serving others. Our mission trip also fosters the spiritual growth of each teen, young adult and adult participant through the sacraments, Catholic faith sharing and prayer. We fundraise throughout the year to help offset the costs associated with the mission trip. Registrations begin to be taken in September. Participants are youth starting high school in September through young adults age 21, along with adult chaperones.
P.B.J. Outreach to Homeless (monthly): PBJ (Peanut Butter and Jelly) Outreach Inc. is an ecumenical group of people volunteering their time and services to homeless people as well as those who are below the poverty level, living in the depressed and impoverished areas of the Metropolitan Detroit area, including Cass Corridor section of inner city of Detroit. We come from variety of diverse backgrounds and ages from many organizations and communities in Southeast Michigan. Junior High, High School students, and Young Adults help as part of Community/Christian Service requirements but many have continued to volunteer on a regular basis. All are welcome without special training needed. We are "Kids Friendly" (+7). We ask for teen volunteers monthly usually on the 4th Saturday of the month to pass out food and distribute clothing to those most in need. Time is 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Knit-Wits (Fall/Winter) is a service project where
guys and girls work on making knitted scarves using a plastic oblong loom and it works simply by winding yarn around pegs on plastic loom! That's right - no knitting needles! If you can wind yard around pegs in a back and forth pattern, then you can knit! Once being shown how, youth can begin a knitting projects on their own at their leisure; we also work with Sacred Heart School middle school students once a week during lunch recess during the months of October through March; and those interested also can meet together once a month on a weekend during October through March to knit scarves. All completed knitted items are then donated to Covenant House of Michigan as part of their outreach to homeless youth.