Alumni Step Up to Help Their Communities at Saints in Service Events

April is National Volunteer Month, a time not only to celebrate and recognize the contributions of volunteers, but to encourage others to become more involved in their communities. Throughout the month, Canterbury alumni across the country reaffirmed their commitment to giving back. Three “Saints in Service” projects, led by our regional alumni chapters in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., connected alumni with local volunteer opportunities, once again bringing this community together for a good cause.

On April 9, Emily Martino ’17 led Canterbury’s Boston chapter in a day of volunteering for Cradles to Crayons Boston, which provides free clothes and other basic needs, including backpacks with school supplies, to children living in homeless, poverty, and low-income situations. Over the course of the day, Saints inspected donations and then packaged them for delivery to the local children who need them.

“It brought me back to our time on campus,” says Emily. “Volunteering in the New Milford community was such an important part of the Canterbury experience. It’s inspiring to see alumni continue making a positive impact on communities beyond the Hilltop.”

On April 11, the New York chapter, led by Sarah Buckingham '17 and Jed Dowler '17, spent the day at the Xavier Mission Food Pantry. Alumni from the 1980s to the 2020s gathered to set up the distribution center and assist their fellow New Yorkers in selecting food items for the week.

“When I arrived and saw the turnout of volunteers wearing Canterbury shirts, I was proud of our group for showing up and representing our School,” says Jed. “Before the day was through, I had already signed up for the next volunteer opportunity, and I wasn’t the only one. I speak for the whole crew when I say we can’t wait to go back to Xavier Mission.”

The final Saints in Service event took place on April 19 in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. Alumni volunteered to encourage, guide, and rally participants at the annual Autism Speaks Empower Walk & 5K. The event raised $232,443 for Autism Speaks—more than $30,000 over its goal—to support awareness efforts, research, and outreach. Wade Jones ’15, the Day of Service Champion for the region, says it's an event alumni look forward to supporting in the years ahead.

It all goes to show that when Saints join forces, great things happen. We take enormous pride in seeing that Canterbury’s spirit of servant leadership continues to resonate far beyond the hilltop, and we hope this first Saints in Service initiative is just the start of a new alumni tradition.