Helping others and getting more involved with them can be a great way to support them but also yourself! Plus, as Catholics, this is not optional! There are many opportunities to get involved in service independently or with others through your local parish or Archdiocese.
- In your parish, if you can sing, you could join the music ministry. Or, you could volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter as many parishes have programs like these. You might also consider volunteering to help your parish’s programs for the elderly or those in palliative care, religious education classes (i.e., CCD classes), St. Vincent DePaul, or social justice ministry. Your archdiocese probably has an office dedicated to helping people get connected with volunteer activities so you can check out their website for even more opportunities.
- You can also volunteer at L’Arche (https://www.larcheusa.org/about/). L’Arche is an international organization that provides residences and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
- In the Greater Boston area, a Catholic-inspired, interfaith organization called, ‘A Faith that Does Justice’ (https://faith-justice.org), challenges people to experience God by living their faith intentionally in service to others. Outside of your parish or archdiocese, there are also many ways to get involved, including community-based initiatives such as soup kitchens, hospitals, hospice, homeless shelters, animal shelters, to name just a few.