St. Ignatius Shelter Meal Program Teens and Children Can Volunteer

As parents, we are called to teach our children how to serve God in their personal lives and in the community at large. What better opportunity for learning and spiritual growth can we give our young people than a day or evening spent as a Shelter Meal volunteer? We encourage parents who are Shelter Meal volunteers to bring along their children aged 10 and above. For safety's sake, we ask that children and teens who are not yet in high school be accompanied and supervised by a parent or other adult relative or guardian. Exception: One of our serving locations, the Marian Residence, requires that all volunteers be at least 13 years old. Younger volunteers are not permitted even if accompanied by an adult. This is a policy of the St. Anthony Foundation, which operates the Marian Residence, and of course we respect this policy. High school students may serve as Shelter Meal volunteers without parental supervision. This is a great way for teens to satisfy their high school requirement for community service hours. Be aware that Shelter Meal volunteers perform various tasks, some of which may satisfy a school's service requirement, while others may not. For example, if there is a requirement for direct service to persons in need, that requirement may be satisfied by serving meals but not by kitchen tasks such as cooking and clean-up. A high school student should check with the school's community service program and make sure to sign up for those Shelter Meal tasks that satisfy the program's requirements.