School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center

On June 5, 2024 the  School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) Educational Center in Woodhaven, Queens, New York held a ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of 100 women, and the faculty who accompanied them, in achieving various levels of English speaking and writing skills, math and civics. Two classes are working toward their High School Equivalency Diploma. As one student speaker explained, “We came here to learn English. We found friendship, support, and the freedom to dream. I hope to be a nurse one day.”

The Ladies of Charity at St. John’s University is privileged to support this Center and these women in various ways. 


Sustainable Development & GLOBE

GLOBE – Global Loan Opportunities for Budding Entrepreneurs is a student-managed microloan program in the Peter J. Tobin College of Business and is led by Lady of Charity,  Dr. Linda Sama.  The mission of GLOBE is to help those living in poverty help themselves by boosting the earning capacity of local entrepreneurs which serves the needs of their local communities. With assistance from their Vincentian partners on the ground, the Daughters of Charity, GLOBE’s loans have helped the lives of families in six countries:  Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Vietnam and most recently the Philippines. The Ladies offer support by donating funds to be used as loans, helping with fundraising efforts, and holding three seats on the steering committee. Many of these loans went to struggling farmers in Libon, Albay, Philippines with repayment terms that allowed them to enjoy yields from their labor before having to pay back the loan Another set of loans helped a number of women in a small village near Concepcion, Iloilo , Philippines– a former fishing village where Super Typhoon Yolanda destroyed the community’s ability to sustain its livelihood through fishing (bottom left).  These women opened up sari sari (convenience) stores as part of a cooperative that have allowed the entire community to rebuild.  Income from their businesses was used to not only pay back loans and send their children to school, but was further distributed to others in the community to start their own businesses. The women held borrower meetings (bottom right) with the newly initiated to help all pay back the loans.  This trickledown effect resulted in GLOBE having reached fivefold the number of women originally given a loan! These stories are repeated in communities throughout the GLOBE sphere of operations.

Click to read about The Haiti Project.


Midnight Run

December 2019 brought us together in service with St. John’s University  Vincentian Institute for Social Action as we prepared for our first Midnight Run. Midnight Run coordinates over 1,000 relief missions per year, in which volunteers distribute food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City. 

Ladies of Charity preparing for Midnight Run

The late-night relief efforts create a forum for trust, sharing, understanding and affection. That human exchange, rather than the exchange of goods, is the essence of the Midnight Run mission. One team of our Ladies prepared sandwiches and put other nutritious items like juice boxes, hard boiled eggs and string cheese, in to 70 food bags that were handed out to the homeless in NYC.  

New York City Streets.

 

 

 

 

Our second team sorted personal items, underwear, socks, jeans and jackets for distribution.  Once intransit in a St. John’s van, Ms. Lucy Pesce, of the SJU Mission Office,  led the effort of distributing food bags and clothing to our brothers and sisters on the street. One of our Ladies commented, “The Midnight Run provided as much for me as it provided for the people I met.  It was truly an amazing experience.”

 

 


The Haiti Project

The Haiti Project initiative began after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 when we collaborated with the Vincentian family and the Daughters of Charity to rebuild schools in the South. Since 2011, Lady of Charity,  Marie Fouché has worked with the Daughters in the region to develop programs to  rebuild schools in the North. Marie started a NGO, CORA, in the northern Nippes diocese, teaching youth how to develop the tourism trade to build a sustainable local economy and is working with local fisherman through the region to revitalize the fishing industry.     

 


Confirmation Party 2013

The Ladies of Charity at St. John’s were honored to be a part of the Confirmation celebrations for the students of St. Camillus and St. Virgilius 2013. This combined parish was severely damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy, and the Ladies wished to offer both spiritual and financial support  as the students embarked on their final Sacrament of  Initiation. The Ladies worked in conjunction with the Archdiocese of Washington to raise funds to provide each of  the students with a Bible, a gift card and to celebrate  together with a pizza party. The remainder of funds were presented to Pastor Rev.  Richard J. Ahlemeyer to help refurbish the parish church building.

Ladies Mary Ann Dantuono, Natalie Boone, Mary Ellen Freeley and Marge Cashin were on hand at the party, along with Sr. Mary Ann to serve the pizza and deliver the gifts.

From Left: Mary Ann Dantuono, Marge Cashin and Mary Ellen Freeley