Students at Bellarmine College Preparatory have been named
Outstanding Philanthropic Youth Organization of 2003 by the
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Silicon Valley
Chapter.
Students at Bellarmine College Preparatory have been named Outstanding Philanthropic Youth Organization of 2003 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Silicon Valley Chapter. The award recognizes service by young people who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the community through direct financial support and through leadership in philanthropy.
The award was presented Thursday as part of the 16th Annual Philanthropy Day Awards Celebration at a noon luncheon and awards program at the Santa Clara Marriott. The student Core Group Officers of Bellarmine’s Christian Service Program (CSP) attended the event as representatives of the Bellarmine student body.
Josh Burroughs, CSP Core Group president, accepted the award on behalf of his fellow students. Other Core Group officers in attendance were Mike Hausle, Jamal Howard, David Kelly, Greg Kimma, Robert Pedersen and Brady Ruebusch.
Bellarmine students, through the school’s Christian Service Program, provide more than 30,000 hours of direct service each year to a wide range of charitable organizations and people in need. For example, Bellarmine students have been contributing to Second Harvest Food Bank for over 20 years. In 2002, students collected almost 7,000 pounds of food to assist Second Harvest’s food aid program.
Students also volunteer with Special Olympics as coaches and support personnel in a variety of sports, including basketball, soccer and track and field; and as tutors at local elementary and junior high schools. Other organizations that benefit from Bellarmine’s Christian Service Program include the YMCA, Agnews Developmental Center, Sacred Heart Community Services and The Family Giving Tree.
“Service to others is at the core of Bellarmine’s Jesuit educational tradition,” said Father Gerald Wade, S.J., chancellor and interim president of Bellarmine College Preparatory. “By encouraging young men to be ‘men for others,’ we hope to instill in them a lifelong commitment to justice and understanding in our world.
“We are honored and pleased that the AFP has recognized the hard work and dedication of Bellarmine’s talented young men and also the faculty and staff who support and guide them.”
In addition to providing their time through volunteer service, Bellarmine students also provide direct financial support to agencies that support disaster and emergency relief efforts. In the past three years, the Bellarmine student body has donated over $5,000 in support of Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl, a worldwide food securities program.
