Shepherds' Staff

Shepherds' Staff was established 7 years ago to expand the spirit of volunteerism in Good Shepherd School's middle school age students and to demonstrate that people of any age can make a difference in their school and community. Without a doubt, that objective has been achieved. Past undertakings have included making favors for the PTO sponsored Grandparents Day, taking part in clothing drives, collecting magazines for Ronald McDonald House, hosting the Welcome-Back-to-School Social for 7th and 8th graders from local Catholic Schools, assisting with the Big 33 canned food drive and with Good Shepherd Parish Market Day, and participating in the Pay It Forward Challenge.

However, the success of Shepherds' Staff is not measured by the number of service projects with which its member become involved but in the selfless giving of themselves to benefit and help others.

Traditionally, Shepherds' Staff last challenge of the school year is the Pay It Forward Challenge. Each member is given a small sum of money and is charged with doing a favor for another person/group/or organization. The favor is done without expectation of being paid back, and the recipient of the favor is asked to do the same for someone else or, better yet for three other people. Hence, the premise "Pay It Forward." Challenge participants then submit an essay describing their "journey."

As a new school year begins, Shepherds' Staff looks forward to, once again, "doing good and caring not to whom."