A group of 17 affiliated with the Newman Center of St. Paul’s Catholic Church are
heading to Chicago Sunday, March 5 for a week of service and worship with Franciscan
Sisters serving in an impoverished neighborhood. Among those taking part are (from
left) Brentt Russel Nerves, a Medical Laboratory Science senior from Sabu, The Philippines;
Zachary Roach, a junior in Economics from Big Rapids; St. Mary/St. Paul Pastor Jegar
Fickel; Communications Studies student Paige Lampert, from Aurora, Illinois; Benjamin
Kraus, a Construction Management major from Edwardsburg; and Jacob Roach, a senior
in Psychology from Big Rapids. Wesley House-Ferris and His House-Big Rapids teams
are participating in construction and rehabilitation work in Biloxi, Mississippi and
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, respectively.
The tradition of religious-based Ferris State University registered student organizations using spring break to help in impoverished areas continues in March. At least three groups are ready to travel near and far to their respective U.S. cities.
Jacob Roach, a senior in Psychology from Big Rapids, is part of a group returning to Chicago with the Newman Center of St. Paul’s Catholic Parish. COVID-19 restrictions kept these students from supporting Franciscan Sisters at Our Lady of the Angels Mission in 2021 and 2022.
“We are so grateful to be returning, as we arrive Sunday, March 5, and spend the rest of that week with the sisters,” Roach said. “It was a huge, eye-opening experience in 2020 to work alongside people devoted to their faith and this type of community service.”
Roach said they plan to assist the Franciscans at a food pantry, visit a YMCA in that area and participate in a community meals program.
“The work these nuns do is incredible,” Roach said. “All their outreach is so necessary to their community.”
A collaborative effort for Wesley House groups from Ferris and Central Michigan University will have a team of 20 adults (15 students and five other volunteers) in Biloxi, Mississippi, for a service and learning trip. Executive Director Kim Bos, with Wesley House-Ferris, said each spring break journey is a positive experience for their group.
“We know so many organizations down there that have seen a need in their community and found creative ways to meet it and mobilize others for change,” Bos said. “We hope our students would meet these do-ers and be inspired to become change-makers in their communities.”
The His House Christian Fellowship team has had a generational tradition of supporting a Texas-based nonprofit with home construction in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Administrative assistant Kate Hogoboom said they plan to take their skills and efforts to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2023.
“Our nine-person team will be working with Habitat for Humanity there,” Hogoboom said. “We expect to be on teams doing assignments in new residential construction and critical home repairs.”
Ferris’ 2023 spring break begins officially on Saturday, March 4, and runs through Sunday, March 12. Spring 2023 classes resume on Monday, March 13.