‘There is an Immediate Need:’ Cathedral High School Helps Families Stay Warm this Winter

“Knowing there are migrant families in our community who are struggling every day, we want to do anything we can to help,” said Lindsey Hughes, Director of the Daley Center for Campus Ministry at Cathedral High School in Boston’s South End.

Since joining Cathedral High School in the fall, Lindsey has played a key role in helping to develop the school’s new campus ministry program, leading more students to get involved in service.

With the high rates of food insecurity and the housing shortage facing families across the state, the program comes at a critical time. Since the new year, the students have been participating in a special drive for donations to families at the Agency’s SafetyNet Shelter and Catholic Charities Inn.

“As someone who believes in Catholic education, I love to see the students getting involved and wanting to do their part in some way,” said Lindsey. “Helping our students to see themselves as people who can be of service, no matter their own situation, is so important.”

Beyond this, Lindsey said such service projects not only benefit Catholic Charities’ clients but also help to provide the students with a sense of agency.

With a large percentage of Catholic Charities shelter residents being migrants, some who arrived in Boston with nothing but the clothes on their back, winter clothing donations make a vital difference, not only helping families in need to protect against the frigid air but also providing them with a tangible reminder that they are not alone.

“Here at Cathedral High School, many of our students are immigrants or the children of immigrants, making this initiative to support Catholic Charities’ migrant ministry particularly meaningful,” said Dan Carmody, President of Cathedral High School. “Cathedral High School’s mission is to provide a holistic, rigorous education to families who otherwise would not have access. In so many ways, the missions of Cathedral High School and Catholic Charities are not only aligned, but harmoniously work together to tackle systemic issues.”

“What makes supporting Catholic Charities most meaningful is knowing that the donations will go directly to families in need within days,” said Lindsey. “We aren’t just sending them into oblivion and hoping it helps. There is an immediate need, and being able to show students that their actions helped a child or family firsthand, is powerful.”

Catholic Charities Boston does not directly accept clothing or furniture donations due to limited space at our facilities. Please view our Amazon Wish List for the current items needed for shelter residents. For information on donating clothes or furniture please contact our partner St. Vincent de Paul Society. To support our clients in other ways, visit our Ways to Give page here.