On December 24, 2019

MSJ students have been helping those in need for 51 years through Project Help

By Ed Larson

Project Help began 51  years ago at Rutland’s Mount Saint Joseph Academy high school.  It’s a project designed to assist needy families in the Rutland community during the holidays with nourishment as well as gift items.

According to Project Help organizers, 90 to 100 families will benefit from students who created what staff members called the “MSJ Grocery Store,” last week.

There were table after table of vegetables, cereals, box items, breads, pasta, hundreds of loaves of bread and more in the school gymnasium.  The entire west wall of the gym was stacked deep with empty boxes to assist those who would come to the school to obtain needed food supplies.

On the stage were dozens of gifts, already wrapped.  Many contained coats and toy items donated by such organizations as the Knights of Columbus and Operation Dolls according to Enrollment Coordinator Bill Bruso.  Bruso stated that the school receives a list of needy families from other area schools as well as Vermont Catholic Charities.   The various families are invited to come and select items from the neatly stacked food stuff in the gymnasium.

Cash contributions were also accepted and are utilized to support purchases for both this year and the next year’s Project Help.

Setup began on Wednesday, Dec. 18, as students such as Thomas Harris, a junior at MSJ, and 2018 Alumni Nicholas Moise took part in the stacking of the food tables.

On Thursday, Dec. 19, students along with adult volunteer coordinators went door to door in the city of Rutland collecting additional food items.  By the end of the day the tables were filled as vehicle after vehicle returned to the campus to off load.  On Friday, Dec. 20, numerous hams and turkeys were distributed.

Principal Alexander talked about the “huge operation” that takes place during basically two days in December.

Alexander called it “An opportunity for young people to be a part of something bigger than their span of companionship.”

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Pride in Rutland: Flags, resistance, and showing up

June 25, 2025
By Emily Pratt Slatin Pride returned to downtown Rutland this June with more color, noise, and purpose than ever before. What began as a joyful celebration quickly became something deeper—something that felt like resistance. And belonging. And a promise that no one in this community has to stand alone. The day kicked off with the…

Plan to manage 72,000 acres of the Telephone Gap project is finalized

June 25, 2025
Staff report The U.S. Forest Service issued its final plan for managing 72,000 acres of public and private land on June 16. The proposed Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project area is located on the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) within the towns of Brandon, Chittenden, Goshen, Killington, Mendon, Pittsfield, Pittsford, and Stockbridge. “The Telephone Gap project is…

Hot air balloons took flight over Quechee

June 25, 2025
By James Kent This past weekend, June 21-22, people came from all over New England to participate in the 45th annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Music, food, games, and fun were available for all ages throughout the weekend, but the main attraction was the hot air balloons. And for those looking to see these gigantic,…

Killington residents push for skate park as town reimagines recreation future 

June 25, 2025
By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger As Killington celebrates the 50th anniversary of its recreation center, some residents are pushing to make a skate park a new permanent fixture of the town’s summer offerings.  The town crafted its recreation master plan to holistically determine how to best use its resources to serve residents in the future, Recreation Department Director Emily Hudson…