by Martha I. Fernandez
Staff Writer
Due to a lack of funds, Campus Ministry will not continue its annual community service project, “The T.J. Connection,” but plans to continue its efforts of service in the spring.
For at least the past three years, students, along with the Catholic campus minister and other faculty members, travelled to Baja California to do charity during the holiday season. The event usually took place over a weekend in November, prior to Thanksgiving.
The group took food and planned activities for the children of La Gloria Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. Former Catholic Campus Minister, Sister Judy Rinek, found the orphanage and established a restricted fund for a group to travel each year. She did this by holding a community dinner where those who attended gave monetary donations. The dinner raised about $1,000.
Last year’s trip extinguished all the money in the fund. The trip cost about $300 to $400, which covered the van cost and contributions for the orphans.
“It was very expensive for two hours of service,” said Jane Kirchner, Catholic campus minister, who led the group last year along with Helena Gerstenberg, director of residential life.
This, however, is not the sole reason for the decision of not continuing the trip. The orphanage has an abundance of visitors and contributions during the holiday season.
“Over the years we’d get there and more groups were there at the same time,” said Kirchner.
Kirchner said the orphanage asked for the group to visit in the spring when contributions were scarce. Rinek tried to organize a trip for that time, but there was lack of interest from the students.
The “T. J. Connection” program consisted of students who took shifts to prepare food and engage in activities with the children.
Activities varied from coloring to making macaroni plates. Later the shift switched, some cleaned up after the meal as the children did crafts with the new group. The program ended with a piñata.
Currently, Kirchner is setting up a community service project with Habitat for Humanity. The event, tentatively scheduled for two or three days in February, will be sponsored by Campus Ministry and Student Affairs.
“Habitat for Humanity is a global organization started by Millard Fuller in Georgia, who decided to start a program to help the community around him,” said Kirchner. This endeavor lead to a program that now builds homes in various areas where poverty is prevalent.
The objective of Habitat for Humanity is to gather volunteers who build homes for those in need. Participants usually build the structure of the house. This takes a few days.
“Volunteers build housing and people buy [the] house at cost with no interest. [They] just pay what it costs to build the house,” said Kirchner.
Tijuana is poor and this is why it has been chosen for the site of service once again.
Kirchner believes the benefit for the volunteers who participate is a “cross-cultural experience as well as doing service to people in need.”
