F.U. community service programs touch lives of all involved

Adam’s judical sentence called for him to perform six hours of community service for violating a Fairfield University policy. He showed up with his mind made up: six hours, no more, no less, and nothing dealing with people. He did not want to be involved.

But after taking part in community service, his attitude changed. He enjoyed the experience so much that he organized a program last year to make Valentine’s Day goodie bags for the students at McKinley School in Bridgeport, where he completed his service hours. He then went on his own and hand-delivered the goodie bags.

“People enjoy their experience, so they continue with it,” said Melissa Reardon, Assistant University Chaplain and Director of Community Service, recalling Adam and others who have gotten involved.

Fairfield University’s Campus Ministry has long been involved with community service. Four years ago a program run by student leaders for service opportunities was founded.

These student leaders are called STAGS: Students Together All Gathered for Service. Each student leader is in charge of a different group of volunteers for different service programs.

Fairfield’s biggest group, the Best Buddies Program, is led by Mary Beth Vingelen, ’06. This program pairs one Fairfield student with a person who has intellectual disabilities.

“Best Buddies involves people who’ve been neglected from society and incorporates them into our everyday lives,” said Vingelen. “By doing that, [it] heals the whole person.”

Best Buddies is not only the biggest but one of the fastest growing volunteer groups on campus, Vingelen said. There are 49 college buddies this year, which is even more than the number involved last year.

“I love it because it gives you a chance to meet with people you wouldn’t normally be presented with,” said Megan Moses, ’06, a college buddy. “[The buddies] are so grateful for everything we do. It’s just a couple hours for us, but to them it means so much.”

The college students are told to try to talk to their buddies once a week on the phone, and to hang out a couple of times outside of regular Best Buddies events.

“They deserve to have a friend as much as anyone else does, in most cases they don’t,” said Michael Gentile, a sophomore involved in the program.

Vingelen and her buddy Margaret Rebetta talk on the phone almost every day. “I look forward to talking to her, someone who’s so interested in what I’m doing,” said Vingelen.

Rebetta, 54, lives by herself in Bridgeport. “I really like it a lot. It’s really affected my life by meeting new friends, especially a pretty young girl like Mary Beth,” she said.

According to Moses, the Best Buddies program “puts you in perspective.”

“You think you’re having a bad week with finals or whatever, but it doesn’t compare,”she said. “If they’re able to see the good in everything, then why can’t we?”

“Anyone can be surprised at how good helping others feels,” said Vingelen.

Reardon said that because service is such an important part of the Jesuit tradition, it should also be a part of our culture here at Fairfield University. She said that it’s important to expose yourself to new things and to become engaged in the community.

Vingelen agreed, “I think that people are not fully aware, or just choose to ignore, many real things that are happening in our world … and hopefully [service activity] challenges them to go on and learn more about things in our world that people disregard.”

There are many opportunities for service and to help the community here at Fairfield University.

Each of the leaders from the group STAGS runs a different community service program. The programs range from after-school programs, in-school mentoring programs, child care programs, soup kitchens, programs for the elderly, and more.

Some of the specific programs include:

Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Bridgeport – Volunteers work with students after school and help them with homework and participate in other activities.

YMCA Daycare Program – Volunteers work with children ages three and four by doing crafts and other activities.

Salvation Army Soup Kitchen – Volunteers serve food, bus tables, and clean dinning room.

Bridgeport Health Care Center – Volunteers are paired with three or four elderly people, whom they visit each week.

For more information or to sign up, contact Melissa Reardon at (203) 254-4000 ext. 2668. Information is also available at the Fairfield University website.