Notre Dame College Prep students and their families took advantage of unseasonably mild weather Nov. 7 to gather outside and pack blessing bags to give to Catholic Charities for distribution to homeless people. Volunteers packed more than 450 resealable gallon bags with travel-size toiletries such as toothpaste, shampoo and body wash, said Mike Marrese, Notre Dame’s director of parent relations. The event took about an hour. This is the third year the school has made the bags, although it was the first time the packing event had to be held outside to allow for proper social distancing. “We do it every year to coincide with the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Marrese said. Steve Tonkinson, president of Notre Dame’s parent association, said members of the school community welcomed an opportunity to come together. “Everyone at NDCP has been thirsting to do something like this and you can tell from the turnout at this event,” said Tonkinson, whose son Aidan is a senior at the all-boys school. “Last year, we did it at night, in the library, and we had maybe 40 people, which was great. This year there were more than 100 people. You couldn’t tell because of the masks, but I would say that we all were wearing a smile a mile wide to be able to gather as a community — socially distant — to do something for those needing a little pick me up.” Another change this year was the option for families to donate by buying toiletries through Amazon Smile and having them sent directly to the school. Students could also bring in toiletries and drop them in bins at the entrances in the days leading up the packing event, Marrese said. Tonkinson said the school promotes a culture of service and charity, and that it’s never difficult to find volunteers or donors. “I think that the boys and the NDCP families realize, even as there are a lot of us struggling as are a lot of families, that we are very fortunate to be at a place where giving back in terms of volunteering is not only expected but desired,” he said. “We never have a problem getting volunteers for service projects from the Chicago Food Depository to Feed My Starving Children and any other community area that voices a need.”
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