"For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ "
St. Matthew 25: 35-40.

WARREN, Mich. – De La Salle Collegiate rang in the holiday season Wednesday with a prayer service intended to kick off its adopt-a-family service project that will involve each student.

“Today’s prayer service was focused on gratitude and service,” said Jo Marie Ragona, De La Salle’s Christian Service director. “It’s what we do for others is what God has done for us. We have been given a lot, and it’s good to share with others who don’t have it.” 

This Christmas season, De La Salle’s school-wide service project – led by the junior class – will benefit 37 families living in the Warren Consolidated School District. Each advisory class will be given tasks from compiling grocery and gift lists, shopping, wrapping presents and delivering gift baskets. A group of De La Salle faculty and staff will also adopt a family.

“I’m looking forward to the after effect that it will have on everybody,” junior Reynard Robinson said. “Since we’re giving back, it will feel so much better when we receive gifts because we will feel like we actually earned it. Dinner will taste better. Waking up in the morning will be better. Everything will feel better and make us happier for participating in this project.”  

According to the most recent census data, more than 26 percent of the 16,050 children in the Warren Consolidated District live below the poverty level. That’s nearly 10 percent higher than the poverty level for children in Macomb County.

For a household of four, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services places the federal poverty level at $24,600/annually.

“You wouldn’t think that in Macomb County that there’s that kind of need,” Ragona said. “Those are like your neighbors. But some of these people live in motels. A lot of them are single-parent families. One is a multi-generational family. There’s a lot going on and there are a lot of people who give at this time of year. We’re really hitting it hard. We want to show who we are.”

Each student will be asked to donate between $15 and $20 of their own money to their advisory’s project. From there, students will work together in teams to provide Christmas spirit to their adopted families. They will do the grocery shopping, including buying a turkey for every family. Then, based on what the family says their children would like for Christmas, the De La Salle students will do Christmas shopping for the children, and wrap each present before either delivering to the families on Dec. 13. The families will also have the option to pick up their Christmas items at De La Salle.

“I’m looking forward to volunteering and helping out a family who is in need because they are not as fortunate as us so we will have the opportunity to help them out,” senior Deven Sheth said. “The De La Salle community loves to help out, so I feel like we’ll get good too, just by helping out.”

Wednesday capped a big service week for the Pilots, who sent several underclassmen groups into the community to help some less-fortunate people.

On Monday, the freshmen made 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Operation Love Our Homeless, a non-profit corporation on a mission to battle homelessness in metro Detroit. Meanwhile, a third of the sophomore class went on a service retreat to Cass Community Social Services and the Capuchin Service Center in Detroit, where they worked with and for the homeless, the elderly, and the hungry.

“In the front office there’s a sign that reads: ‘People are praying for the things you take for granted,’ ” Ragona told 700 students at the prayer service. “They ask God to give them things you really don’t ever consider as anything special. Some of you don’t realize how special your life is. Think about how you need to share the things that you have to make other people’s lives better.

“So when you give thanks for your friends, your family, your health, and your education, say a prayer for the lonely. Say a prayer for the homeless or the homebound. Everybody in your community doesn’t have what you have. Then put that prayer into action. Get going. Make this a great Christmas for someone else.”