Calvert Hall displayed its commitment to the Lasallian and Catholic mission through service to those in need.
On Wednesday, April 21, 2010 all 1200 students and 100 faculty members at Calvert Hall spent the day participating in a school wide Service Day in the Baltimore community. Everyone reported to Calvert Hall for a prayer service from 8:30am – 9:30am before leaving for their respective locations to clean-up parks, serve food at soup kitchens, assist at retirement homes, work with the developmentally disabled and much more.
Freshmen stayed at Calvert Hall to work with K – 3rd grade students from Pleasant Plains Elementary in a variety of activities such as reading, crafts and recreational outdoor games.
Sophomore sites included:
Civic Works (Clifton Mansion, 2701 St. Lo Drive, Baltimore, MD 21213) – Their mission is to build a future for Baltimore’s youth through community service and skills development. Civic Works’ volunteers help clean vacant lots and parks, plant trees and flowers, care for community gardens and restore the Historic Clifton Mansion. Approximately 25 students helped to clear grounds, plant trees and care for community gardens.
Cylburn Arboretum (4915 Greenspring Ave. Baltimore, MD 21209) – The Cylburn Arboretum Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Cylburn Arboretum as a place of open space, beauty and learning. Approximately 40 students helped to plant trees, mulch gardens and participate in other outdoor work.
Garden Harvest (14045 Mantua Mill Rd, Glyndon MD 21071) – Garden Harvest is a not-for-profit farm run by full time volunteers; its mission is the alleviation of hunger & the improvement of nutrition of economically disadvantaged citizens worldwide. They accomplish this by establishing community farms that teach people methods of organic, sustainable production of goods, so they can learn how to grow food for themselves & for others, and in ways that regenerate the earth. All crops produced at Garden Harvest farms are given to the poor. Approximately 80 students worked outdoors planting and harvesting food from gardens that go to feed homeless in meal programs across Baltimore.
Herring Run Watershed Association (3545 Belair Rd., Baltimore, MD 21213) – The Herring Run Watershed Association has made watershed restoration and environmental education and advocacy its mission since 1993. Along with thousands of volunteers, they help preserve and protect streams and tributaries in the Herring Run Watershed that is home to animals, plant life and more than 150,000 citizens. Approximately 30 students helped with a tree planting project.
Loch Raven Recreation (1801 Glen Keith Boulevard, Baltimore MD 21234) – Loch Raven Recreational Council helps to maintain the area surrounding Calvert Hall. Approximatly 50 students cleaned up the fields and woods surrounding the recreation center and the library as well as cleaned and painted the recreation center.
Moveable Feast (901 N. Milton Ave. Baltimore, MD 21205) – Moveable Feast is an organization that makes and delivers meals to homebound AIDS and breast cancer patients in the Baltimore area. Approximately 14 students prepared and packaged meals and groceries.
Villa Maria Continuum (2300 Dulaney Valley Rd. Timonium, MD 21093) – Villa Maria is a residential facility that provides behavioral health and special education services to children in Maryland. Approximately 30 students helped with a grounds project on the campus.
Immaculate Heart of Mary (8501 Loch Raven Blvd, Baltimore MD 21286) – Approximately 20 students will cleaned the grounds and provided support to the community at this neighborhood Catholic school.
Junior sites included:
Archbishop Borders students at the Zoo (Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD 21217) – Archbishop Borders is a Catholic school in Baltimore City that Calvert Hall twins with each year. Approximately 50 students were paired up with an elementary school student for the day.
Brighton Gardens Assisted Living (6451 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21212) – Brighton Gardens is a retirement home for residents of Towson, MD. Approximately 14 students spent the day working with the residents, helping with lunch and playing games.
Carrington House (3500 Clifton Ave. Baltimore, MD 21216) – Carrington House is a non-profit that is dedicated to helping men recover from substance abuse. Approximately 20 students worked at a transitional home helping its residents to paint and landscape the building.
Herring Run Head Start (5010 Bowleys Lane, Baltimore, MD 21206) – Head Starts serve pre-kindergarteners from low-income families. Approximately 20 students played with the kids and heledp paint a classroom.
Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat House (15523 York Road Sparks, MD 21152) – O’Dwyer Retreat House serves schools and parishes all over Baltimore. Approximately 40 students helped with painting and landscaping projects.
Oakcrest Village (8820 Walther Boulevard Parkville, MD 21234) – Oakcrest is a retirement home serving Baltimore County. Approximately 40 students participated in a landscaping and gardening project with the residents.
Our Daily Bread (725 Fallsway, Baltimore, MD 21202) – Our Daily Bread is Maryland’s hot meal program, serving more than a quarter million meals to the hungry of Baltimore City each year. Approximately 14 students served lunch at Our Daily Bread.
St. Ambrose Outreach Center (3445 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215) – St. Ambrose is a resource center dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, families and children of the Park Heights neighborhood. Approximately 20 students served a meal to homeless individuals, worked in the GED job training program and helped in the Head Start classrooms.
The Samaritan Women (526 S. Chapel Gate Lane Baltimore, MD 21229) – The Samaritan Women is a Christian organization that maintains a large urban farm that grows produce for local shelters, recovery houses and families in need. Approximately 80 students worked on the farm and helped clear woods and land.
Seniors went to Druid Hill Park (Baltimore, MD 21217) for a massive park clean-up project. Baltimore City Parks and Recreation organized the students on different projects, specifically mulching trees.