Social Action Committee

The SJSY Social Action Committee and the SJSY Sunshine Club are shining examples of what it means to live our faith.  They both spread kindness and guard human dignity within our school and to the greater community beyond our walls.

The Social Action Committee is open to students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 and meets outside of class time.  They promote social justice by empowering students to take initiative to preserve human dignity.  Its members participate in activities that help those in need both in the building and in the city and world.  In the past few years the committee has participated in the JOY J Homeless Outreach Program and Initiative Broadway Homeless Walk.  They collected and sorted the donated toiletries and personal care items-- and, along with their families, distributed the necessities to homeless New Yorkers. There is much joy when the committee member hands a bag to a person in need- and a connection is made. 

The committee also works diligently to feed the hungry both locally and globally. They collect, sort, and pack food donations for the New York Common Pantry who, in turn, provides emergency food relief to our fellow New Yorkers. During Lent, they promote almsgiving and collect money for Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl, which supports programs that prevent hunger and poverty around the world. Supporting the Scholastic Pajama Drive, they spearhead the collection of PJs and partner with Scholastic who donates books during the holidays to families who suffer from instability.

The SJSY Sunshine Club works to promote unity and camaraderie among the students in the upper school. The Sunshine Club members meet during their recess period and discuss ways to promote positive attitudes and spread kindness to all. They have worked on great projects like distributing friendship bracelets to Grades 5 - 8 to encourage friendship and unity. They have created a Positivity Wall in which kind notes were written to every student in the upper grades. During Women's History Month, the girls in the upper grades were featured on the Positivity Wall. They have also instituted Kindness Mail.  Students each have their own "mailbox" and they choose a name at random each day.  The student then has to deliver a kind note to the person they chose before the end of the day. Kindness Mail has continued even through remote learning. Most recently, the Sunshine Club has collaborated with Ms. Hogan and her Coffee House. The venture was titled, "Good Art, Good Words, Good Vibes!" and featured positive artwork in keeping with the club’s mission. The Sunshine Club is open to students in students in Grade 5 - 8. The children research and decide the programs and drives to support and promote, empowering these young humanitarians to shine brightly.