A collaboration between St. Michael Catholic School in Augusta and Parish Social Ministry, a program of Catholic Charities Maine, has generated over 1500 blank greeting cards for area seniors and educated the students on the importance of living out the Catholic Church’s call to service.

In the last week, over 160 St. Michael students designed and created ten greeting cards each (nine pictures below), including birthday cards, Christmas cards, and Easter cards. The initiative is part of Parish Social Ministry’s Mustard Seed Project, which strives to engage Catholic youth and young adults in service projects for Catholic Charities in an effort to spread awareness about the Church’s good works while helping many in need.

The students’ cards will be delivered to seniors who are active in two other Catholic Charities programs: Independent Support Services (ISS) and SEARCH (Seek Elderly Alone, Renew Courage and Hope). ISS connects isolated seniors and disabled individuals with a team of volunteers who help with a variety of tasks, from routine housekeeping to transportation. Likewise, SEARCH connects seniors with volunteers who bring joy and companionship into their lives while assisting with daily chores.

“The seniors are not in need of the much more expensive nursing home care and ISS and SEARCH provide a real human dignity to their clients,” said Michael Smith, director of Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry. “They still value the importance of being able to send cards, and since many are of low income, this will allow them to not have to purchase cards for holidays and special events.”

Catholic youth around Maine are participating in the Mustard Seed Project with great enthusiasm. Presently, there are a number of new initiatives underway: faith formation students in Lincoln and Belfast are making Valentine’s Day and Easter cards for seniors; children at All Saints Parish in Brunswick are collecting items for newly-arriving refugees involved in Catholic Charities Maine’s Refugee and Immigration Services program; and the faith formation classes at St. Michael Parish in Augusta are also collecting books for child development centers.

“It is inspiring to see so many children come together to serve their neighbors, their brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Smith. “The work of all of these young people makes a difference in the lives of hundreds of our clients, and, hopefully, encourages others to always reach out to those in need.”

For more information about these Catholic Charities Maine programs, visit www.ccmaine.org.