Students learn from veterans, help those in need through unique service club

A unique extracurricular activity at Seton Hall Preparatory School, an all-boys Catholic high school in West Orange, is giving students the chance to benefit military veterans while learning about the value of helping others.

For the past 10 years, Seton Hall Prep’s Veterans Service Club has allowed participants to brighten vets’ lives through volunteer work and social gatherings. It also regularly collects money for nonprofits like the Wounded Warrior Project and Tunnel to Towers Foundation, with school officials estimating the club raises about $5,000 annually. A dress-down day for the GI Go Fund most recently netted about $3,000 alone.

But veterans are not the only ones who benefit from the club’s efforts. Vincent McMahon, who oversees the Veterans Service Club as Seton Hall Prep’s director of social justice and service programs, said students also get a lot out of participating. Above all, he said they learn to appreciate the rights they have as Americans by supporting those who risked their lives to protect them.

*A Seton Hall Prep student listens to a member of American Legion Post 185 during a Veterans Service Club party. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Ronnie Jr.)*

“This is an opportunity for our guys to be grateful and not take our freedoms for granted,” McMahon said. “There’s always a lot of talk about the importance of patriotism, but few people actually go out and fight for our country. This club shows our students that there are people who put their lives on the line and make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. And it teaches them that we need to respect them and tell them how grateful we are.”

Though it initiated as a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, the club has evolved significantly over the past decade. Members have cleaned up veteran parks and memorials, written letters to active-duty soldiers, and prepared care packages for servicemen and women. The students have also volunteered for fundraisers that gave them a taste of military life. For instance, several club members have joined Hoboken Legion Post 107’s annual “Ruck the River” event, which requires participants to march around the Hoboken waterfront while wearing a heavy rucksack.

Perhaps the most valuable experience the Veterans Service Club provides are the opportunities for students to interact with local vets. Often, the club will hold pizza parties where veterans from various military branches share their memories. These get-togethers have included everyone from Vietnam servicemen to Korean War vets, which means the club members get to hear a wide range of eye-opening anecdotes. At the same time, McMahon said the veterans themselves benefit by connecting with the youth.

“Some of these vets don’t have children or grandchildren, so this is a way for them to pass their stories on to the next generation,” McMahon said. “It’s special for everyone.”

Max Widmer, a Seton Hall Prep senior and one of the club’s two student leaders, said interacting with vets is certainly one of his favorite parts of the Veterans Service Club. Though he does not plan on pursuing a military career, Widmer said he appreciates listening to the vets’ stories of heroism. No one in his family has served in the U.S. Military, he said, so learning about the soldiers’ experiences means a lot to him.

“It’s been awesome to meet all these good people and hear about their different backgrounds and stories,” Widmer said. “It’s great to see the smiles on their faces at these lunches. You can really see the dedication and brotherhood they have. It’s like a family.”

But the Veterans Service Club has taught Widmer much more than an appreciation for the military. The student explained that prior to entering Seton Hall Preparatory School, his teachers never emphasized the value of philanthropy. It was only after joining the club — as well as Seton Hall Prep’s numerous other service activities — that he gained a love of helping others. In fact, he said a recent service trip to Guatemala was one of his life’s best experiences.

And now Widmer does not think he will ever stop volunteering.

*Max Widmer (second from left) and other club members participate in “Ruck the River.” (Photo courtesy of Max Widmer)*

“It’s awesome seeing the happiness we can create just through simple actions like making a donation or having a slice of pizza with a veteran,” Widmer said. “It makes me want to do it even more.”

Widmer is not alone. A 2017 study published in the Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences found that adults who participated in high school extracurricular activities were more likely to continue doing volunteer work as an adult. And philanthropy is highly beneficial to youth, according to a 2023 study from the American Medical Association’s JAMA Network Open. That research discovered children and teens who volunteer are 34% more likely to be in “excellent or very good health,” 66% more likely to be “flourishing” overall, and 35% less likely to have behavioral problems.

Of course, as a Catholic institution, Seton Hall Prep has always instilled the value of philanthropy in its students. Seniors are required to complete 30 service hours, and the school offers a plethora of volunteer opportunities for students in all grades. These include service immersion trips, sandwich making for a local soup kitchen, and programs dedicated to helping persons with autism and developmental disabilities.

According to Director of Campus Ministry Daniel Ferrari, these initiatives are meant to remind students of Matthew 25:40-45, in which Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” In other words, Ferrari said Seton Hall Prep is trying to teach its boys that Catholics serve Christ when they help those in need. And in the case of the Veterans Service Club, he believes participating students have learned that lesson well.

“It’s inspiring to see so many God-focused students,” Ferrari said. “Veterans sacrificed so much for our country, so our students are sacrificing their time and giving of themselves to make life better for them. They’re looking beyond themselves to help people who might be struggling — and they’re finding the Lord as a result.”

To learn more about Seton Hall Prep’s service opportunities, visit www.shp.org/ministry/service.

Featured image: Members of Seton Hall Prep’s Veterans Service Club and American Legion Post 185 interacted during a recent pizza party. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Ronnie Jr.)