Walk the Walk Week (WTWW) has returned to the University of Notre Dame for its 11th year, running from Jan. 24 to Jan. 31. According to a University press release, the event was designed with “more than 20 University, department, and student-sponsored events that invite members of the Notre Dame community to reflect on how to foster a deeper sense of belonging and inclusion, and build the Beloved Community — referencing the words of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — on campus and beyond.”
One of the hallmarks of WTWW is the dedication to service. Between Jan. 5 and Jan. 21, a collection of classroom, cleaning and art project supplies was gathered in support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northern Indiana Corridor, La Casa de Amistad, The MLK Dream Center and the Robinson Community Learning Center.
The collected supplies were packed into care packages on Saturday at the week’s biggest volunteer event. Various volunteer stations were scattered throughout the Duncan Student Center, staffed by over 350 student volunteers. University President Fr. Bob Dowd was present at the event.
“Walk the Walk Week is very important in our community. It’s very much grounded in our Catholic mission to respect the God-given dignity of each and every human being and to build a strong sense of community, a community that’s not closed in on itself, but a community that’s turned out in surplus. And so I’m really grateful to everybody who’s worked so hard on Walk the Walk Week and grateful to all of our partners here today,” Dowd said. ”Of course, we have many organizations devoted to the people in our community who are vulnerable, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to work together with them to do everything we can to learn from and to serve them.”
“The Walk the Walk Week Service Project, now in its [fourth] year, continues to be a prime opportunity for students to express our solidarity with the greater South Bend community,“ a written statement from the student government said. “The project’s broader inclusion in WTWW serves as a reminder of how our Catholic identity distinctly animates our call to solidarity with the most vulnerable. We are deeply grateful for our continued partnership with the Office of the President, as we strive to build a flourishing Notre Dame community for all.”
The first step in creating donation packages was sorting all the contributions to prepare to distribute and place them into the packs.
“I’m volunteering because it’s for a good cause and I wanted to get involved with the community and the greater South Bend area,” freshman Grace Rochelle said.
In the Hagerty Family Cafe, students wrote notecards to be placed in care packages for these organizations. In these notes, students wrote messages such as “You are strong,” “Keep shining brightly” and “Be kind to yourself,” among others. Also in Hagerty, student volunteers made bracelets to be distributed in hygiene packs for girls. Freshman Natalia Ciura was one of the volunteers writing cards.
“It takes such little effort to make so many kids happy and make such a large impact,” she said.
Sophomore Natalee Shipley facilitated the letter-writing for student volunteers and worked with the students as they wrote the letters.
“For me personally, I’m in the department of community service … so I wanted to get involved in one of their biggest events,” Shipley said.
Students also made fleece tie blankets for the supply kits. Following the intermediate steps, the largest group of students worked on the assembly line station. The first packages created were for the Boys and Girls Clubs, drawstring bags filled with gloves, beanies, water bottles, hand sanitizers, tissues and the finished notes from students.
Overall, the event produced 300 hygiene kits for boys, 300 hygiene kits for girls and 300 school supplies kits. Of the hygiene kits, 100 kits each were allocated for the Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center, the Robinson Community Learning Center and La Casa de Amistad, as well as the 200 Boys and Girls Clubs packages.
La Casa de Amistad was founded in South Bend 52 years ago by Fr. John Phelan, C.S.C., a Holy Cross priest. Today, the organization serves 100 kids in kindergarten through 12th grade, providing youth programs for all elementary school students who require social services.
“We’re extremely thankful and fortunate for the University’s support … La Casa de Amistad works to support and serve these families, and items like this help us to accompany them,” Juan Constantino, the CEO of La Casa de Amistad, said.
Also founded 52 years ago, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Indiana Corridor serves 2,000 kids in St. Joseph County. Initially a place for kids to go after school, the organization has grown into academic support and “a place for kids to thrive,” CEO Dwayne Wilson said. “I’m appreciative of the students who support us — we have athletes, engineering students — and this is just another practical application of their support, and I’m appreciative of that.”
The Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center is a community center serving all comers, from senior programming to free after-school care. Their packages will go to after-school and summer programs as well as to a warming center for the homeless, said Starkeisha Lenoir and Therae Washington, who work at the center. The center is “always looking for students to volunteer for enrichment programs and other volunteer opportunities,” Lenoir said.
Ethan Chiang, student body president Jerry Vielhauer’s chief of staff, was one of the organizers for the event.
“Ever since I’ve come to Notre Dame, South Bend has been an integral part of my experience, and our Catholic identity calls us to act in solidarity with those vulnerable around us,” Chiang said. ”Service is part of our DNA as students here.”
