Children understand sacrifice, service through unique Lent project
“What are you giving up for Lent this year?” It is a question many Catholics ask themselves as they consider how to best reflect Jesus’ own 40 days of temptation. But one group of children at Wallington’s Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church is commemorating the season in a much more unique fashion.
Rather than merely abstaining from sweets or toys, the students in Rebecca Davis’s first grade religious education class are making the ultimate Lenten sacrifice — giving of themselves — through a project that asks the boys and girls to set aside money each day for the local nonprofit N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue. By doing so, Davis hopes the children gain an understanding of the true meaning of Lent and Christ’s suffering. She also wants them to see the importance of almsgiving, a lesson they can take with them long after Easter is over.
“I hope this inspires them to be givers when they grow up,” Davis said. “The philosophy I live by is if I have it, I share it. That’s one of the foundational lessons of the Church, and I wish more people would follow it. I think the world would be a much better place if they did.”
Davis’ project — which is based on Catholic Relief Services’ similar Rice Bowl program — started with her students decorating two, 12 oz. paper bowls stapled facing each other, with a slit cut into one end. After bringing their makeshift containers home, the children are now filling them with 25 cents of their own money on each day of Lent. They also say a prayer after making a contribution.
Once Easter concludes, the boys and girls will bring in their filled containers so Davis can count how much money was collected. There are 25 students in the class, so it is expected that at least $250 will be raised over the course of Lent’s 40 days. But after running this activity for approximately 15 years, Davis knows to expect more.
“I’ll have kids come in all the time and say things like, ‘I put in an extra dime today because I found one outside,’ or, ‘Grandma gave me a dollar to put in my bowl,’” Davis said. “And they’re very excited to show me how heavy their bowls are when they bring them back in. That’s great because it teaches them how wonderful it feels to help people.”
The children are not the only ones happy about the project. Renay Stafford, a volunteer who helps operate N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue, said the nonprofit is extremely grateful to receive the children’s donations. And as a lifelong Most Sacred Heart of Jesus parishioner herself, Stafford said she is thrilled to see a young generation of Catholics learning about the value of giving.
“What they’re doing is important,” said Stafford, who is planning on sending certificates to each child in gratitude. “A lot of people don’t realize that there are people out there struggling unless they actually see it and get involved. So, I think having the kids get involved by donating and seeing how the money is used is making them realize that there are people out there who don’t have what they have. They’re getting to see that not everyone has the luxury of having food to eat or going to the store and being able to buy anything they want.”
Stafford said the students’ contributions are very much needed, too. Aside from the occasional grant, N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue runs entirely on donations and volunteers. In fact, Stafford’s husband Phil gave up his job to volunteer fulltime as the nonprofit’s executive director. So, every penny goes a long way, she said.
Most of the food N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue gives out are excess (yet still fresh) items that restaurants and stores donate rather than throw away each day. But Stafford said there are some weeks when the food donations are not abundant. On those occasions, the nonprofit will use the children’s donations to buy fruit, vegetables, and whatever else is needed. Additionally, she said the money will be spent on groceries in emergency situations when a family needs food immediately.
The students do not need to look far to see the impact of their contributions. Stafford said many Most Sacred Heart of Jesus parishioners benefit from the food pantry N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue sets up in the church parking lot every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. In return, she said the parish is always highly supportive.
“The church has been a blessing for us,” Stafford said. “They supply the tables for us when we set up in the parking lot. The parishioners are always donating nonperishable foods. We help so many people with the help of the church. It’s just a wonderful partnership that we have.”
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church has been very helpful during Lent this year. According to Sister Vicky Bartkowski, the parish’s director of religious education, every faith formation class is donating funds to N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue. And Sister Bartkowski is impressed by Davis’ creativity in devising her class’ particular project.
“Mrs. Davis is an unsung hero who does many little things with her students,” Sister Bartkowski said.
Davis is not doing her Lent activity for recognition, though. The religious education teacher said first grade is such a formative time in a child’s life, so she hopes the project will have a lasting impact on her class’ comprehension of Lent and willingness to help others. And she has evidence to believe it will. Davis said one of her former students, who is now in high school, told her she still remembers participating in the activity roughly one decade later.
“That made me feel really old!” Davis joked. “But it also just melted my heart. If I have reached one child, I’m happy. I feel blessed just knowing that I’m also helping people in need by doing this.”
Visit https://mshchurch.com/en-us/ to learn more about Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. And for more information about N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue, go to https://njfoodclothingrescue.org.
Lent project photos courtesy of Rebecca Davis
