Service Hours Requirements

Service Hours Reflection Sheet

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2012 Service Presentation | 2012 Service Hours Opportunities

Service is a fundamental part of our life of faith. With your paricipation in Confirmation preparation, you will need to complete 15 service hours in 3 areas.

  1. Social Justice: 5 hours benefiting the less fortunate (i.e. the elderly, poor, hungry, homeless, mentally or physically ill, the chronically ill, the disenfranchised).

  2. Community Service: 5 hours benefiting people or organizations in the greater Catonsville community/global arena.

  3. Ministries of St. Mark: 5 hours benefiting St. Mark Parish

All candidates for Confirmation are required to give of their time and talents in these areas to learn that acts of service are a regular part of our daily living of the Christian Way of Life as taught in the Gospels. These various areas of service will challenge each young person to grow and expand the way in which they serve God and others. It will allow them to try something they may never have thought of doing before and perhaps learn of new skills and ways they are good at serving.

For each Service done a REFLECTION SHEET must be completed, signed by your supervisor and handed in to St. Mark within 2 WEEKS of performing the service. Hours without this form will NOT count toward the 15 hour total requirement. All service hours must be completed from January 1, 2010 to December 2, 2011. Reflection sheets for 10 hours of service must be submitted by September 1, 2011; 15 hours total/5 in each category must be submitted no later than December 2, 2011. Forms can be submitted one of the following ways: (1) mailed to Mrs. Finley or dropped off at her home (212 Park Drive, Catonsville, MD 21228) or (2) drop off at the Parish Center (30 Melvin Ave), St. Mark School (26 Melvin Ave), or Religious Education class (St. Mark School) in an envelope marked “Confirmation Service Hours–Attn: Finley”.

Service projects need to involve activities that directly serve the needs of people in one of the three areas (see above). Make sure that there is actual interaction with people in need and that you do not only do indirect service projects. For example, within your Social Justice hours, you can serve at a soup kitchen rather than only making casseroles to hand in. Need help with ideas? Check out the Service Packet.

If you get paid — it is not volunteer service hours. Sporting events do not count as volunteer service in Social Justice or Ministry, and only in rare cases is it a community service. Please check before you think that it will count and run out of time at the end of the year. With any project, if you have a question, please do not hesitate to contact Rae Ellen Clegg, Parish Program Coordinator or Fran Finley, Volunteer Service Hours Coordinator.

Don’t Forget: Finding places to serve and completing these hours is your responsibility. You will not have a sufficient amount of hours if you only attend the projects that we arrange as a Confirmation Group. Keep track of what you submit so that you know in which you need hours. Need help with ideas? Check out the Service Packet.

EXTRA:
We would like to start a way of recognizing our SUPER SERVERS. Let Rae Ellen Clegg or Fran Finley know of the hours you have done beyond the 15 that we record for your preparation. Keep a list of the service projects you have participated in and hand that in by December 17, 2010. List the place, the date you served, the name and number of the supervisor or volunteer coordinator, number of hours and type of service. This is not instead of your reflection sheets, this is for those of you with more hours to report.

For possible opportunities to receive service hours, please download the service packet or check the Service Hours Upcoming Events page or weekly Parish Bulletin.