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The St. Michael and All Angels parish and school community has a longstanding tradition of service to the local Tucson community and beyond.
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” – Matthew 25:40
Service Learning Programs at St. Michael’s School
Service to others is integral to our mission, regardless of one’s faith or spiritual tradition. As a School and as a parish in the Episcopal tradition, St. Michael’s has long been committed to serving others in our community and around the world. Service to the community complements the academic curriculum and promotes the dignity of others to our students.
Through the process of exploration, service, and reflection, our students, teachers, and caregivers are empowered to give back to others and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their role in the world. Service strengthens character and broadens perspective, empowering us to make an immediate impact while fostering lifelong habits of empathy, generosity, and service. It is an expression of gratitude, a practice of loving our neighbors—whether on our campus, in our local community, or across the world.
As such, St. Michael’s students participate in a variety of Service Learning activities throughout the year, including the following:
Mass Donations
Students in upper school provide voluntary Mass donations to benefit a variety of nonprofits chosen annually by our Student Council with input from our School Chaplain. These monetary donations help support the good work at organizations like the University of Arizona Food Pantry, Youth on Their Own, Cody’s Friends, Primavera, and the Episcopal School Haiti Partnership Program.
Canned Food Drive
Our annual Canned Food Drive in November invites students, faculty and staff, and families to voluntarily donate canned and packaged food items to the St. Michael and All Angels Food Pantry to support those community members who experience food insecurity. Voluntary monetary donations during the annual Food Drive are also donated to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
From Classroom to Community: Water-Wise Project
As part of a cross-curricular exploration combining Language Arts and Science, second-grade students studied the importance of water, hydration, and sustainability. Inspired to make a difference, the class learned about reducing waste by reusing everyday items. Putting their learning into action, they collected, cleaned, and repurposed gently used water bottles, which they donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. Through this meaningful project, students deepened their understanding of both personal wellness and environmental responsibility.
Great Egg-spectations Drive
Throughout the school year, students participate in our Great Egg-spectations drive by voluntarily donating hardboiled eggs for the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. Casa Maria is a nonprofit outreach service agency supporting those individuals and families in the Tucson community who are experiencing food insecurity. Our eighth-grade students also volunteer in-person in small groups on a monthly basis throughout the year to help prepare and serve meals at Casa Maria.
Warm Outerwear Drive
During winter, students in all grades are invited to donate clothing for our Warm Outerwear Drive, sponsored annually by our Upper School Student Council. This voluntary donation drive provides warm clothing to benefit the Primavera Foundation and Kaleidoscope Humanitarian Aid.
Micro Loan Program Through Kiva
Through their World Religions class, seventh-grade students support the micro-loan program through Kiva, an international nonprofit helping local communities who are without easy access to capital generate small business. Seventh graders help fund programs as varied as women seeking seeds and fertilizer to grow carrots and potatoes in Madagascar to a small business selling leggings and tracksuits in Bolivia.
School-Wide Bake Sale
Third-grade students and families host a School-wide Bake Sale in November, proceeds from which benefit the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
Used-Book Collection
We host a Used-Book Collection donation drive during our Love of Reading Week each year to benefit Make Way for Books, a local Tucson nonprofit supporting early-childhood literacy.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Students honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. each year by serving at local community organizations. Our fifth-grade students partner for the day with Ben’s Bells and their mission of spreading kindness; while students in grades six through eight work off campus with a variety of local non-profits including Beads of Courage, Community Gardens of Tucson, Hermitage Cat Shelter, Santa Theresa Tile Works, Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (TROT), Tucson Clean and Beautiful.
And we have responded as a community in support of spontaneous charitable activities as needs arise. Historically, St. Michael’s has been swift to answer the call for relief when catastrophic events occur globally.
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours.”— St. Teresa of Avila