Clubs Celebrate Fr. Hesburgh with Service

Service is one of the cornerstones of the Notre Dame mission, and one of which Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., is particularly proud. Since May 2007, the Alumni Association has celebrated Father Hesburgh’s birthday with the “Month of Service” in his honor. Organized through the global network of Notre Dame clubs, these service projects range from single events to yearlong commitments. 

Father Hesburgh inspired the ND Club of Gettysburg in particular. According to Club President Jim Conrad, the source of inspiration came from a Father Hesburgh quote: “One of my great areas of Notre Dame pride is the fact that so many of our clubs are now involved in service projects, which do all sorts of wonderful things such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking in the sick, giving drink to the thirsty, and visiting those who are outcast from society.”

The ND Club of Gettysburg focuses its Month of Service project on visiting those in a nursing home: it conducted a sing-a-long at the Golden Living Center, a nursing home in the community. “If you have ever spent any time in a nursing home, there are many people who certainly feel like outcasts from society,” Conrad explains.

The residents of the nursing home look forward to the sing-a-long, which has become an annual event; one nurse says that this is the only time they are willing to leave their rooms early for an activity.

As for the club’s musical repertoire, the Fight Song tops the list. Conrad explains, “As far as the Fight Song, the residents do the best they can. I always tell them, ‘If we have any Penn State fans here, you need to suck it up and sing for the Irish this one time.’ They get a charge out of that.”

This year, more than 55 ND alumni groups around the country participated in organized events in honor of Father Hesburgh. The events included blood drives, Rebuilding Together projects (to rehabilitate affordable homes), and Habitat for Humanity builds of new homes.

“If a club or class needs an idea for a service project, we can work with them to develop something to fit their needs and the needs of their community,” says Katie Zakas, director of service for the Alumni Association. In fact, many ND clubs opt to create their own projects.

The ND Club of Phoenix, for example, organized Thirst Aid, a water drive for the homeless. The club was able to gather more than 2,700 bottles of water and an additional $400 to purchase more. “We asked members of our community to donate water for the homeless—to help assist St. Joseph the Worker—for the hot summer months in Phoenix. On May 2, we set up a collection center and spent the morning collecting water for the homeless,” explains Club President Margaret Gillespie ’77. 

The ND Club of Northern Florida extended its Month of Service initiative into a Year of Service, organizing workshops at their local Boys & Girls Club to teach young people the basics of job searching, such as making résumés and cover letters.

No matter what the project, each club expresses its individuality and awareness of local issues through their participation in the Month of Service. For more information or to share your group’s service project, contact Katie Zakas by e-mail or at 574-631-6723.