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The Office of Community Service offers a variety of service opportunities: assisting those who are disadvantaged and marginalized in our society, tutoring youth, and protecting the environment, just to name a few. Service work may be individual or in groups. Service activities are open to the entire Mount community, with students, seminarians, and employees often joining together to help those in need.
During break periods, domestic and international trips are offered to work with organizations, such as Glenmary, Habitat for Humanity and Oaxaca Street Children; reaching out to our brothers and sisters around the world. On campus fundraisers, such as Hike for Hunger and HabiFest are done enabling the entire University community to help those less fortunate.
Students also have the opportunity to work in service learning placements. Some courses offer the 4 th Credit Service Option, where students agree to do 30 hours of service outside the classroom, helping to enhance what is being learned in the classroom. A free credit is added to the class for the service being done.
Fund-Raisers
- Hike For Hunger – Fundraiser for local and worldwide hunger and relief efforts. Hike around The Mount to feed the poor. (Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005)
- Pennies for the Poor – Four collections during the year benefit various causes. (Oct. 3, 2005; Dec. 5, 2005; Feb. 6, 2006; Apr. 3, 2006)
- Council on Campus Ministry Food Drives – Non-perishable food collections to support local food banks. (October and March)
- Hunger Awareness Meal – Fundraiser and dinner providing an experience of world food consumption patterns. (Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005)
- Advent Giving Tree – a campus wide Christmas gift drive benefiting local social service agencies. (Nov. 13 – Dec. 1, 2005)
- Colleges Against Cancer Relay – (February, 2006)
- HabiFest 2006 – a day to advocate for the homeless (Wed., April 5, 2006)
 Tutoring Programs/Youth Outreach
- America Reads Work Study – Work study students tutor in local elementary schools. (Financial need based assignment)
- Emmitsburg Elementary and Mother Seton School Tutors – Tutor elementary children during school hours. (set your own times)
Outreach to Senior Citizens
- St. Catherine’s Nursing Center – Set your own hours to visit the elderly and assist with activities at this Emmitsburg residence.
- Montevue Nursing Home Parties – Four Friday afternoons during the year help plan and host aholiday theme party. (Oct. 28, 2005; Dec. 2, 2005; Feb. 10, 2006, Apr. 28, 2006)
- Villa Saint Michael – Set your own hours to visit retired Daughters of Charity in their retirement home in Emmitsburg.
Outreach to People with Disabilities
- Best Buddies Club – Provide assistance and companionship during weekend activities.
- Special Olympics Maryland Fall Sports Tournament – Assist over 500 athletes from across Maryland in soccer, powerlifting and volleyball competitions. (Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005)
Soup Kitchen Assistance and Family Support
- Frederick and Baltimore Soup Kitchens – Serve meals at local non-profits assisting homeless individual and families in need. (weeknights & Saturdays)
- Habitat for Humanity Club – Help construct and repair homes for low income families. (weekend days and break service trips)
- Up County Family Center – Set your own hours to help with various office tasks, participate in storytelling with pre-schoolers, and assist with parties and lunch preparation. Located in Emmitsburg.
Various Service Opportunities
- Preservation of the Environment – Help local environmental agencies with preservation and cleanup of the environment. Agencies include Thorpewood, Antietam Battlefield and Nature Conservancy.
- Fall/Spring Service Saturdays – A day long service project to help members of the local and surrounding communities. Service projects vary each semester.
 Service trips offer a variety of projects, living experiences, and location destinations. Service trip participants help our brothers and sisters in need, engage in shared reflection, learn about societal problems, and live in a community environment. Service trips also allow participants to experience new places and have fun. To help offset the costs of the domestic service trips, each participant contributes $120 (abroad service trips are more expensive) Lodging, meals, program fees, and transportation is provided. Applications and information on the service trips listed below are available in the Office of Community Service.
- San Juan De Dios Orphanage – Cusco, Peru
- Glenmary Farm – Vanceburg, KY
- St. Vincent Youth Center – Philadephia, PA
- Habitat for Humanity – Jacksonville, FL
- Habitat for Humanity – Williamsburg, VA
- Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots – Oaxaca, Mexico
Information on Local Service Opportunities
Information on a wide range of service opportunities in Frederick County and the surrounding areas is available in the Office of Community Service. Contact information for area non-profit service agencies is provided so students may arrange placements that suit individual interests and schedules.
Summer and Post-Graduate Service Information
The Office of Community Service, along with the Career Center, provides information about summer and post-graduate service with various religiously affiliated, non-denominational, secular, and governmental organizations. Each spring, the Career Center co-sponsors, with other colleges, an employment fair in which non-profit organizations recruit long-term volunteers and employees. The Mount is proud of its many graduates who have served with such service organizations as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Christian Appalachian Project.
For more information or if you have questions, contact:
Melissa Main
Director of Community Service and Service Learning
The Office of Campus Ministry and Community Service
Mount St. Mary's University
Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727
Phone: 301-447-5223
Fax: 301-447-5868
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