VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — There’s a group of children in our community working hard to make life better for everyone around them. They are students of Saint Matthews Catholic School in Virginia Beach. They call their group “God’s Helpers” and we consider them “Children of Change.”
“I’ve always been really proud of God’s Helpers. This organization, it’s the one organization we have in the school that 100% service,” said Louis Goldberg, the principal of St. Matthews Catholic School.
“We do service projects within the school, within the community. We kind of take into action what we’re learning in the classroom here at St. Matthews,” said Wendy Porter, God’s Helpers Co-Chair.
From flag displays for Veteran’s Day with proceeds going to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Toys for Tots, to volunteering at St. Matthew’s food pantry, the children of St. Matthews Catholic School are making a positive impact on our community.
“I know we’ve done a lot of big projects, but I like the small things that we do like the cards. I just feel like they’re really heartfelt and I guess who really wouldn’t want a card?,” said Kianna Lopez, a 7th grader at St. Matthews.
This past year, God’s Helpers have made cards for a homebound gentleman who is cared for by four nuns, cards for a woman going through stage 4 cancer, for a 94-year-old man who lives by himself and gives back to the community each year by making handmade ornaments for his neighborhood kids.
“It makes me feel really happy because when we give the cards and everything that we’ve done to all the people, it makes them really happy and it makes me feel happy to know that they are happy,” said Brooke Porter, a 4th grader at St. Matthews.
“My favorite part about being in God’s Helpers is probably helping the homeless and giving them coats,” said Chloe Lane, 5th grade.
Each year God’s Helpers holds a coat drive to benefit Pin Ministry’s Homeless Shelter in Virginia Beach. The kids understand the importance behind the coat drive and the impact it has on the community.
“It’s important to donate because the homeless might not have a lot of clothes and they might not be warm,” said Claire Ayers, 4th grade.
The group, made up of 2nd through 8th graders, also made Veteran’s Day posters to be displayed in the chapel aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and care packages for two local nursing homes. The projects mentioned are just some of the amazing things this group does to help the local community.
“I am amazed every week at the ideas they have, at their creativity, at their compassion, so we’re lucky. We’ve got good kids,” said Meghan Ayers, God’s Helpers Co-Chair.
The next project of God’s Helpers will be a Diaper Drive for Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia. That project will take place during the Lenten season.
If you know of a child, or group of children, making a positive impact on our community, let Katie Collett know by reaching out to her through her social media accounts or via email at: Katie.Collett@wavy.com