Zanesville Bishop Fenwick School, under the direction of kindergarten teacher Gail Murrell, and campus ministry, under the guidance of Jonathan Medaugh, gathered bookbags for the homeless population of Zanesville at the start of the school year.
Murrell asked parents of her students to bring in gently used bookbags at Bishop Fenwick’s open house and 25 were collected.
The need for bookbags in the community had been relayed to Medaugh by Mary Gunkel, who runs Mary’s Mission.
Gunkel started Mary’s Mission to address the needs of the homeless population in the Zanesville area. Last winter, she handed out 450 hand warmers and more than 120 coats. In addition to collecting clothing and other items needed for the physical comfort of the homeless, she distributes Catholic prayer booklets, rosaries, miraculous medals and personal journals.
As campus ministries at Fenwick strives to follow the Corporal Works of Mercy, this project helped the students understand “Shelter the homeless” and put their faith into action.
Mrs. Murrell intends to make this an annual event at the beginning of each new school year. By following the Corporal Works of Mercy (in this case giving shelter to the homeless), the students at Bishop Fenwick are making an effort to follow Bishop Earl Fernandes’ pro-life agenda and support life in all of its stages and conditions.
Related to: Catholic Social Services launches ‘Super Neighbor’ volunteer initiative