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Serving Our Community (and Lots of Sandwiches!)

Members of the Girls' Varsity Hockey team make sandwiches in the D'Amour Center. They are smiling and wear their hockey uniforms.

At Canterbury, students are encouraged to use their strengths and talents to make a difference on and off the hilltop. Service is an important aspect of this servant leadership model, and the School has the pleasure of partnering with many charitable organizations throughout New Milford, Litchfield County, and beyond. Recently, Canterbury reached an exciting milestone with one of these community partners, the Dorothy Day Hospitality House.

For more than 40 years, Dorothy Day has provided food and shelter to those experiencing homelessness in Danbury, Connecticut. Individuals, teams, and clubs have gathered in the D’Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice since September to make sandwiches for the organization to distribute. Last week, the Girls’ Varsity Hockey team made 172, pushing the School over the threshold of an impressive milestone: Canterbury has now officially made more than 1,000 sandwiches since the beginning of the school year. 

“This is a huge accomplishment, and I am so proud of the students who have helped contribute to this,” says Josh Leeuw, Director of the D’Amour Center. “A year ago, this was just an idea, and I am so happy that it came to fruition with the assistance of the Athletic Department and various clubs on campus. I am truly thankful to our community.”

This feat of generosity was a true group effort that would not have been possible without the contributions of the following groups:

  • JV Field Hockey
  • Varsity Field Hockey
  • Girls’ JV Soccer
  • Boys’ Varsity Soccer
  • Women of Canterbury
  • Girls’ JV Hockey
  • Girls’ Varsity Hockey
  • Wrestling
  • Girls’ JV Basketball
  • Sustainability Club

Of course, the School has no intentions of resting on its laurels. Plans are already in motion for Swim & Dive, Girls’ Varsity Basketball, and Robotics to make sandwiches as well.

Dorothy Day’s mission statement concludes with the following sentiment: “Please pray with us that one day we will open our doors and no one will need our services.” We hope that day comes soon, but until then, Canterbury will continue to help provide comfort and sustenance to our neighbors in need.