Service
Servant Leadership
Service to the community is a cornerstone of an MHC Academy education, where the importance of a lifelong commitment to servant leadership is impressed upon all students. To that end, all students are expected to serve a minimum of five hours per quarter, for a total of twenty hours per academic year. The majority of Academy students serve far more than the twenty-hour minimum. Students who earn 100 or more hours in a single academic year may become eligible for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
See Below.
Students are expected to self-monitor their progress towards the quarterly requirement, with the oversight and guidance of the Campus Minister. In general, students are expected to serve at established, off-campus non-profit organizations, though service at select school events may count towards the requirement with the Campus Minister's approval.
In the past, students have served at a variety of organizations such as Healing the Children NJ, Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Boys & Girls Clubs NJ, and Eva's Village, to name a few. Many students also fulfill service hours through participation as altar servers or Sunday school teachers at their local parishes. To learn more about how community service enriches the lives of all Mary Helpers, please contact the Campus Minister or attend an upcoming Admissions event.
A Culture of Service
At Mary Help of Christians Academy, we form our students to be young women for others. By sharing our talents, time, and treasure, we encourage one another to gain the practice of servant leadership and stewardship.
Overall, as a MHCA student, she must serve at least 5 hours per quarter for a total of 20 hours per academic year, but are welcome to complete additional hours, if desired. Students who serve at least 100 hours a year may qualify for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
Students may track progress towards the service hour requirement with the service database called MOBILESERVE and log their hours there.
Each student is assigned a SubOrg according to their Class Graduation Year.
This login will remain with each student from their Freshman year to Senior year, revealing the accumulated service hours during their Mary Help of Christians career.
For a successful APPROVAL of Service hours, students must log 2 of the 5 verifications:
1) Supervisor Email
2) Supervisor Signature
3) Geolocation
4) Kiosk Check-in
5) Photo of the service for documentation
*** If 2 of 5 verifications are not successful, the service hour(s) will be denied.
If students have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Sister Pamela Rose, Campus Minister, with any questions via email at [email protected] or [email protected]
Presidential Volunteer Service Award
Award Levels
Awards are given to seniors in the form of a presidential medallion at the Baccalaureate Mass so that they can wear their honor at graduation. Freshmen-Junior awards are given at the start of the following school year as a presidential pin. Each award includes a certificate of achievement and a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States.
Volunteer service hours must be submitted through the Academy’s service hour program to qualify for this recognition. To ensure that awards are attained in time for senior graduation, the service hour “year” runs from May 1-April 30 each academic year. Students may begin accruing hours for the following school year as soon as May 1 of the previous academic year. Incoming freshmen may begin recording hours on May 1 of their 8th-grade year. To qualify for the PVSA, students must be United States citizens or lawfully admitted permanent residents of the United States. Please contact the Campus Minister, [email protected] , if you have any questions about the PVSA.