Your
unused clothing can make a difference to those in need. This month,
Campus Ministry invites
all students, faculty and staff to participate in St. John’s first
Jeans Run.
Campus Ministry will accept donations of jeans in any size and
style throughout October. Those which are clean and in good
condition may be left at the department’s main office, Marillac
Hall Room 239, or at St.
Thomas More Church, both on the Queens campus.
Student volunteers will distribute the jeans along with sandwiches
to homeless and needy persons during St. John’s Midnight Runs, one
of a variety of Vincentian Service
programs. “People sometimes think we only give sandwiches,” said
Rafael Rivera ’10C, ’14G, a Campus Minister who is coordinating the
effort. “But we also try to provide clean, warm clothing for people
we encounter on the streets.’
This is the first time Campus Ministry has dedicated an entire
month to collecting a specific kind of clothing, said Angela Seegel
’98Ed, ’03GEd, Assistant Director for Vincentian Service. “When we
go out,” she said, “it seems that people need particular items at
certain times of the year — long pants in October, blankets and
sweatshirts in November. This was a good way to be more
strategic.”
In September, October and April, Campus Ministry vans take students
on Midnight Runs four nights a week. During November, December,
January, February and March, volunteers spend two nights a week
distributing food and clothes on the streets. They spend the other
two nights serving at St. Nick’s Men’s Shelter in Queens.
By donating jeans, Seegel said, members of the St. John’s community
can take part in Midnight Runs even if they are unable to go out
into the streets. “You’re supporting the students who do this
work,” she explained. “You’re giving them the opportunity to better
serve those in need.”
To learn more about the Jeans Run, contact Rivera in Campus
Ministry: Ext. 3354; riverar2@stjohns.edu. For
more information about Midnight Runs, contact the office’s main
numbers:
Queens Campus
(718) 990-6255
campusministry@stjohns.edu
Staten Island Campus
(718) 390-4475
SICampusMinistry@stjohns.edu