While most La Salle students were in the classroom, 10th grade students had an opportunity to enjoy a day away at a retreat. 

On Monday, Sept. 29, the sophomore class gathered together at Our Lady of Lavang Parish, where they spent the day learning about community, service, and justice. Students also had a chance to connect with one another and discover new service roles. 

Sophomores were educated during the retreat on spreading awareness and things they could do to help. The retreat was an opportunity for students to learn about various organizations within the community, such as Blanchet House, Project Lemonade, Dandelion House, and Clackamas Women’s Services all of which were presented to students.  

Project Lemonade, which offers services for youth in the foster care system, was one of the groups that addressed problems and solutions students can contribute with. Around Portland students can volunteer their time working in the Project Lemonade store assisting customers. Each group of students discussed challenges within the community ranging from housing crises to mental health issues. 

According to Director of Campus Ministry Mr. Carter Powers, making a difference and accumulating more service hours was the goal for the retreat. 

“My hope was that at least one student heard something that they could bring back to La Salle to make La Salle better, and that they heard one thing that might give them an idea of where to do their service hours after this,” he said. 

Sophomore Laila Block expressed how before the retreat, she didn’t realize the many different ways she could support the community.

Getting new perspectives was a part of many 10th graders’ experiences. Sophomore Ben Ginter revealed that before the retreat he thought of service as just another task that needed to be checked off the list. After, he realized the deeper meaning and the impact it has on himself and others.  

The retreat allowed students to think about how service doesn’t just affect them, but the community as well. It provided  insight on different roles and the impact.  

“I thought this retreat was great,” sophomore Grace Wooden said. “It shows a lot of opportunities that you can volunteer for service hours and just to make a great impact on others.” 

This retreat helped shift students’ perspective  from viewing service as just a requirement to enjoying and valuing the time spent helping others. 

“My favorite thing is watching all the people smiling during the retreat,” Mr. Powers said. “Anytime I see someone smile just because they got the chance to be together, that makes me happy.”