A group of SJC Brooklyn students spent a week of their winter break serving communities in Brooklyn, Queens and Brentwood.
Sister Marie Mackey, campus ministry director at SJC Brooklyn, led a “backyard” mission trip during the week of Jan. 6, where students volunteered at a soup kitchen; learned about poverty, migration and the environment; and participated in morning and evening prayers. The trip also featured visits to New York City’s Tenement Museum, 9/11 Memorial and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
S. Marie developed the program after juniors Andrew Wenzler and Gianna Pizzariella, both child study majors and members of the community service club S.T.R.I.P.E.S., suggested doing an Alternative Winter Break trip. S. Marie loved the idea but opted to plan something close by so there would be a larger local impact.
“There’s so much in our own area that can be done,” she said.
During the backyard mission trip, the six students — Andrew Wenzler, a junior child study major; Gianna Pizzariella and Vanessa Muñoz, both juniors majoring in child study; Javan Abrams, a sophomore nursing major; Anell “Angel” Ramos, a freshman computer science major; and Raquel Ramirez, a freshman undecided on her major — stayed in the convent at The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates, a Catholic college preparatory school for young women sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood.
Check out photos from the backyard mission trip:
Backyard Mission Trip 2020
