Marymount Volunteers With San Pedro Non-Profits During All-College Service Day

Marymount’s faculty and staff left their classrooms and offices on Tuesday, February 21 for a different kind of work. It was the annual All-College Service Day which is designed to give faculty and staff a chance to mingle with a completely different demographic, get their hands dirty, and rekindle the joys of service and spiritual development. The event, facilitated by Campus Ministry, demonstrated that the Marymount core value of service draws the best intentions of not only its students but of its chieftains of infrastructure as well.

These volunteers lent their energies to six San Pedro organizations: The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (White Point Reserve), the San Pedro Science Center (LAUSD’s “The Farm”), the L.A. Maritime Institute (“TopSail” program), the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (Cabrillo Coastal Park), the Warner Grand Theatre, and the Salvation Army’s Sage House Senior Day Care Center. Volunteers spent the morning clearing trails, working in a sustainable garden, scrubbing tall ship galleys, painting trail signage, cleaning and painting in the stately Art Deco theatre, and interacting with senior citizens who have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementia disorders.

After spending the morning rediscovering the merits of labor, participants spent the afternoon in a mini-retreat and reflected on their fresh experiences in light of Marymount’s spiritual mission and the “Principles of Catholic Social Teaching.” The Mission Review Task Force also led a portion of the afternoon session as part of this year’s review of Marymount’s mission, vision, and value statements.