Operation HeadStart at Rummel typifies service

    Representatives from Archbishop Rummel’s Operation HeadStart program hit the road for a second Lasallian Summer Service Trip promoting service.
    In mid-June, eight HeadStart members, a Rummel graduate and Operation HeadStart program directors Mark Firmin, Russell Zimmerman and Andrew Dinett traveled to Santa Fe, N.M., to conduct service projects with students at St. Michael’s High School, another school founded in the Lasallian tradition.
    Firmin organized the five-day trip and coordinated volunteerism at two homeless shelters, a horse rescue farm, the Santa Fe Community Garden and San Miguel Mission Church.
    “We sorted clothes and cleaned bathrooms at the homeless shelters,” Rummel graduate and videographer Russell Zimmerman said.
    The students’ eyes were opened to people’s plights.
    “We saw people with legitimate problems taking care of (their problems),” senior Brandt Becnel said. “One woman was beaten and abused, and you could see that she was a victim her whole life.”
    “Now, she is back in school and works with special needs’ children,” Zimmerman said        Firmin was impressed with the group’s accomplishments in only five days.
    “This was more powerful because I think we made more impact in a few days than we had in a long time,” Firmin said in comparison to the group’s excursion to Colorado in summer 2010.
 

Living out their faith
    The summer summits give Rummel Operation HeadStart members a chance to live  the Lasallian traditions of faith, community and service established by St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers, Firmin said. Archbishop Rummel re-associated with the Christian Brothers in 2010.
    HeadStart participants organize 20-25 projects annually with HeadStart schools, Magnolia School, Angels’ Place, We Care and other community partners.
    Members are eager to attend the summer summits to bandy service ideas with students in other states. This summer, they absorbed how students at co-ed St. Michael’s school don’t have required service hours; their projects are self-driven. They learned of a Breast Cancer Awareness Day one student had organized and how a social justice class had a service component.
    “Everybody had one goal of helping other people, but obviously had different ways of doing it,” senior Tucker Roussel said. “It’s something we are taught, but it’s nice to travel and see other people practicing the Lasallian traditions, the willingness to give back to the community for all the blessings we have.”
    “We have a lot of fun with the stuff we do here (in New Orleans), but the trip lets us meet new people and share the Lasallian tradition of service,” Becnel said.
    Car washes, Raider bingo and raffles helped raise money for the trip, Firmin said.
 

Well-traveled
    Those who attended the summit returned to New Orleans for only a few days before traveling to Washington, D.C., to visit the Christian Brother Conference, headquarters for the Christian Brothers in America. There, they met with Christian Brother Robert Schieler, general councilor for the United States and Toronto region, gave him and his staff a presentation on service and  joined in a prayer service.
    “They were all smiling, telling us they were proud,” Zimmerman said about the Christian Brothers they met.
    While in Washington, a planned stop was made to 1983 Archbishop Rummel graduate and Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise’s office where they gave a service presentation to staffers. Students also took a White House tour.
     “We wanted to show him and other legislators how easy service is to do, to get schools involved to encourage volunteerism and service,” Firmin said.
    Christine Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@clarionherald.org.