St. Joseph’s Indian School staff members divided and conquered a variety of volunteer projects throughout our local communities during Mission Day.
“Fr. Dehon said, ‘We go to the people,’ so we are going out to these people to help them with whatever project they need,” said Joe, Director of Mission Integration.
And that is exactly what St. Joseph’s Indian School staff set out to do on August 11 during the Second Annual Mission Day.
Campus came together to kick off another school year in one of the most meaningful ways possible: through service. But this isn’t just another school year — St. Joseph’s is celebrating its 100th school year!
Impressive, we know!
Before welcoming approximately 200 Lakota (Sioux) students back to campus, staff set out on an important mission of their own: giving back to the Chamberlain community and nearby reservations that mean so much to St. Joseph’s Indian School.
For Mission Day, employees from across campus were divided into groups, intentionally bringing together staff members who might not otherwise have the opportunity to work together. It was a chance to build deeper relationships with coworkers while putting St. Joseph’s mission into action through service.
And there was plenty of work to be done!
Throughout the day, staff assembled hygiene kits, first-aid kits and birthday kits for those in need. Other groups lent a hand at the Chamberlain public school, helping prepare bulletin boards and complete miscellaneous back-to-school projects before students returned.
Across the community, staff also tackled yard work, washed windows and painted for local Chamberlain businesses. Teams cleaned area churches, harvested fresh vegetables at a reservation community garden and picked up trash along local trails, parks and around the community pool.
A group of St. Joseph’s Indian School staff members walk through campus and the Chamberlain community, picking up trash along the way.
No matter the project, the goal was the same: to step outside our everyday roles, work together and give back to the communities we are grateful to call home.
“It was so fun getting the opportunity to work with friends from Child Services, as well as spending more time getting to know each other,” said Brianna, Direct Mail Manager.
At St. Joseph’s, we feel incredibly blessed to do work that makes a difference each and every day. Mission Day gave staff an opportunity to share that same spirit of service beyond campus before turning our attention toward students who will soon fill our classrooms, homes, hallways and playgrounds once again.
After a summer away, there is nothing quite like seeing campus come back to life.
“Seeing the students return at the end of the summer is always a highlight,” said Beth, St. Joseph’s Assistant Principal. “I am looking forward to a great school year, with big celebrations with the 50th powwow and 100th school year.”
Mission Day was a fitting way to begin such an important year — together, in service and with care for our communities and people who have been part of St. Joseph’s story for the past century.
Now, we’re ready for our students!
Catch Mission Day in action and see our staff hard at work by watching this video reel.
