St. Ray’s for Boys restores program offering students new opportunities
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The revitalized St. Raymond High
School for Boys Campus Ministry
Program is offering students opportunities
to help improve the qualityof
life in their community.
The Christian Service Program
encourages and teaches students
the importance of service and under
program coordinator Damian
Carparelli, its resurgence has made
quite an impact on students offering
a fun, challenging and rewarding experience.
“When these guys are out there,
they do really good work and it’s
meaningful,” said Carparelli, who
has been director of the program for
a year. “They enjoy helping people.”
Under the program, seniors visit
community schools such as St. Raymond’s
Elementary School and St.
Helena’s Elementary School from 3 to
6 p.m. tutoring kids.
“It was fun helping little kids with
their homework,” said 12th grader Andres
Almeida, who helped at St. Raymond’s
Elementary after-school program.
“I enjoyed helping the younger
generation and my community.”
Juniors are tasked with cleaning
up Van Cortlandt Park every Friday,
preparing the ground for the springtime
and planting trees, Carparelli
said.
Sophomores pick up their gloves
and head out to Orchard Beach cleaning
St. Raymond’s Christian Service Program 11th graders at Van Cortlandt Park, where the students plant trees, rake the trail, and cut down
overgrown vines damaging trees. Photo courtesy of Damien Carparelli
up the park before the cold season
and after, while the freshman
class spends time at Pelham Bay
Park planting trees and cleaning up
garbage.
It was an enjoyable time for 11th
grader Nelson Prevost and 10th grader
Justin Abreu cleaning up the park.
“We cleaned out the tennis courts
and bagged all of the leaves so the
park looked great,” said Abreu, who
visited Pelham Bay Park.
For Carparelli, who has been
teaching at St. Raymond’s for 17
years, the restoration of the program
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 30 CTOBER 25-31, 2019 BTR
was a big task at hand and a fulfi lling
job, he said.
“You have to wear many hats
when it comes to the service program.
I have to organize basically everything.
I am in touch with principals
in the Bronx, the Parks Department
and Van Cortlandt Park on a weekly
basis. With the kids, I’m making sure
they’re on buses and doing their work
going on trips with them.”
Additionally, St. Raymond hosts
an animal food and toy drive during
the month of October; the donations
are then sent to animal shelters.
During the Thanksgiving drive,
canned goods are collected and delivered
to the Mercy Center, and kids
receive presents from the Christmas
toy drive in partnership with the
161st Merchants Association.
Carparelli is hoping to start a
fund-raiser for students who are interested
in Unearthed Travel, which
offers ministry students the opportunity
to travel to other countries such
as Asia and Africa to build libraries
in communities that need it.
“My goal is to make sure this is
very successful,” Carparelli said.