Service & Outreach
Leave to Serve
The cornerstone of our service program, however, is our on-going service projects. Students can participate in a variety of service projects seven days a week. Whether tutoring a grade school student in Kensington; serving a meal to a person on the streets; spending time with the elderly or disabled; or more, there is an opportunity for everyone. These projects are directed by faculty and staff and include transportation and supervision.
Service Programs
- Branchout Days
- Community Techserve
- Food Drive
- Street Outreach
- Rising Stars Homework Club
- Human Rights Forum
- Pheed Philly
- Triest Hall
Branchout Days
During Freshman Year a La Salle student will participate in a Branchout Day. On these Branchout Days, an entire class boards buses to various service projects throughout the Philadelphia area. Faculty and Staff along with many fathers accompany the student groups and participate alongside.
Who: The Freshmen Class and their Dads
What: A Day of Service Impacting the Philadelphia Community by Providing 1500 hours of Service
Where: 25 Schools, Churches, Community, and Faith Based Organizations across the Philadelphia area
Why: Service Learning Event to help make a difference in the community, and to introduce freshmen to the value of serving others
Schedule
7:45 AM- Fathers Meet in Auditorium • Father Sign-ups -Visit The Men of La Salle Page on La Salle Web Site
8:00 AM- Freshmen report to homeroom
8:10 AM- Report to Auditorium
8:15 AM- Morning Prayer Service
8:30 AM- Depart to Sites (transportation provided)
1:45 PM –Small Group Discussion @ School (Students & Dads)
2:40 PM- Dismissal
Community Techserve
Moderators: Mr. Sabatino & Mr. Csongradi
Program Description: Community Tech Serve is a program where our students are afforded the opportunity to utilize the technical gifts and talents in the support of IT related initiatives as local schools who do not have the resources to support / sustain their own environments. As a part of Tech Serve students not only have the opportunity to further their own IT skills, but also learn the value of sharing all of our talents with those in need. Often times, it is in these types of infrastructural areas that schools and organizations lack the funds and resources required to provide even the most basic levels of support to their organizations. Past initiatives have included the support of La Salle Academy in Kensington, and in the future a group of students may be traveling as far as Saint Michael's Indian School in Window Rock, AZ to support them in the installation and bringing on line of their computer lab.
Date, Time, & Frequency: Varies depending upon need & opportunity
Transportation Provided: Yes
Other Pertinent Information: For more information, contact Mr. Michael Sabatino.
Food Drive
Moderators: Mr. Devlin/Mr. Roche
Program Description: Beginning in early November the La Salle community sponsors a food drive to benefit the St. Vincent's Parish Soup Kitchen. Serving the residents of Germantown, St. Vincent's provides meals and other necessary services to the homeless and less fortunate in our community. The drive is centered as a homeroom level collection where students are encouraged to work together to collect enough food and / or monies in order to ensure that the people who rely on St. Vincent's will know the same blessings as they, during this season of thanks. Food baskets are then brought forward during the annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service by the homeroom representatives, where they are blessed and then later delivered to St. Vincent's.
Date, Time, & Frequency: This is an annual event which runs from early November through the day before Thanksgiving
Transportation Provided: No
Organizations Served: St. Vincent's Church, Philadelphia, PA, Share, Philadelphia, PA, St. Mark's Church, Philadelphia, PA, St. Joan of Arc Church, Philadelphia, PA, Padre Pio Center, Philadelphia, PA
Street Outreach
Moderators: Mrs. McCabe/Mr. McGranaghan
Program Description: The Homeless Outreach program is an opportunity for upperclass (juniors & seniors) La Salle students to interact with those living on the streets in Center City Philadelphia. La Salle students serve food, drink, clothes and most importantly friendship with those that are most vulnerable.
Date, Time, & Frequency: Tuesdays, 4:00PM to 7:30PM
Transportation Provided: Yes
Organization Address: Students meet in Campus Ministry and serve food and share fellowship with the homeless in various locations in Center City Philadelphia.
Other Pertinent Information: Program is limited to upperclassmen.
Rising Stars Homework Club
Moderator: Mrs. Bridget Whalen
La Salle students help elementary students (grades kindergarten – 5th grade) with homework after school as part of the Rising Stars Homework Club.
Weekly sign – ups will be posted on bulletin board across from Dean of Students Office.
Bus leaves LaSalle at 3:15 and returns at 5:30.
Human Rights Forum
Moderators: Mr. Williams
Program Description: The Human Rights Forum endeavors to: 1) Educate the students on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Social Justice; 2) Advocate for the rights of the oppressed and victimized utilizing the resources of a variety of human rights organizations; and 3) Raise funds annually to support a human rights initiative through a non-profit organization. In addition, students are encouraged to become aware of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and other important documents and international treaties dealing with the subject of universal human rights. Members are also alerted to speakers in the surrounding area of interest to the goals of the club.
Date, Time, & Frequency: 3rd Wednesday of every month
Transportation Provided: No
Pheed Philly
Moderators: Mrs. Giuliani
Program Description: Pheed Philly is a program where students come together several times per month to prepare several hundred casseroles and other necessary foods in support of our Street Outreach and Sarnelli House programs. Under the supervision of faculty and staff, students will shop / provide all the ingredients; prepare; cook; and package casserole meals to feed the less fortunate in Philadelphia through several of our outreach initiatives. Often times the students who prepare the meals, will also have the opportunity to deliver and share fellowship with those who will benefit from this program.
Date, Time, & Frequency: Thursdays - Listen for announcements or see Mrs. Giuliani
Triest Hall
Moderator: Mr. Trainer
Program Description: Triest Hall is a 24-hour residential program for adults with impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning as a result of neurodevelopmental disorders. Operated under the authority of the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs, the home is under the care of the Brothers of Charity who have been working with marginalized and vulnerable people since their foundation in 1807. La Salle’s student volunteers meet the residents in their exercise room to help with motivation and organization, but most importantly to provide the social interaction that is a core component of the residents’ care program.
Date, Time, & Frequency: Weekly on Tuesdays. Depart from La Salle at 3:55 PM and the workout is over by 5:00 PM. Volunteers usually sign up for four or more Tuesdays, but some of our ‘veteran’ volunteers have been going on a weekly basis (when they are free) for several years and have cemented strong and meaningful relationships with the residents.
Transportation Provided: Yes, but student can also travel in their own cars.
Organization Address: Brothers of Charity Residance, Triest Hall, 7720 Doe Lane, Laverock, PA 19038 (just over one mile from La Salle)
Intellectual Disability (ID) is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning. ID affects about 2–3% of the general population. ID involves deficits in mental abilities, social skills, and core Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Symptoms can include:
- Delays in reaching or failure to achieve milestones in motor skills development.
- Slowness learning to talk or continued difficulties with speech and language skills.
- Difficulty with self-help and self-care skills.
- Poor planning or problem solving abilities.
- Difficulty adapting to new situations.
- Difficulty understanding and following social rules.
Core components of behavioral treatments include language and social skills acquisition.
La Salle Responds
La Salle Responds
La Salle Responds is a school wide initiative to fund requests for donations to various charities. Dress down days are sponsored throughout the year with campus participation for a $5.00 donation. Applications are available on the portal for students, faculty, and staff to submit and request a monetary grant to a charity of their choice. A committee of faculty and students fulfill the requests following each dress down event.
During the 2022-23 school year La Salle Responds fulfilled 48 applications for a wide variety of charities. There was a total of $30,750 in funds donated from Dress Down Days and the Poor Man’s Supper.
Please use this link to make an application for funding a 501c3 charity. The LSR committee will respond.